Blackberry Q10

Just five years ago Blackberry devices were still the must have device of corporate CEO’s, were popular parts of a vast majority of IT departments mobile fleets and were commonly found in the hands of those regulars in the Qantas Club lounges.  So what’s happened? Fast forward to 2013 and it’s hard to find a Blackberry in the hand-me-down basket of your IT team.

Earlier this year to much fanfare the latest and some would say last ditch effort from this once great company was launched.  Blackberry 10 – the operating system which seems to have been in development for years, and the announcement of two new devices.

This all comes after years of consistent demise in handset sales and a move globally toward both Apple and Android devices away from what was once the dominant player – Blackberry.

At least two new Blackberrys in 2013

Blackberry Q10 and Z10

The two new devices announced were the Z10 and Q10.  The Z10 is a full touch-screen device which sits alongside its Android and Apple competitors with style, the decision for buyers is more about the operating system and app environment than anything else if you’re in the market for a full touch-screen phone.

So what of the Q10?  The Q10 has a full QWERTY keyboard and a decent sized touch screen too.  Why is it Blackberry have left the Q10 to follow its Z10 sibling – surely the Q10 is everything about Blackberry that could just help them retain a chunk of market share.

Despite my personal passion for Blackberry devices over the years, Blackberry simply can’t compete with Android and iOS (Apple) today.  Blackberry 10 is a sleek, very well thought out operating system – however it lacks Apps, and for my mind is too hard to adjust to for users coming from Android or iOS.

Blackberry Q10 & Z10

So what about those who are still using Blackberrys?

This is where Blackberry as a company needs to accept they have the most to gain.  Convert two, three and four year old handsets still in the corporate environment.

Once you spend a year or more in a more sophisticated App environment like iOS and Google Play you will likely have an investment in the environment.  If not the Apps then it’s the user interface of these devices, which can become second nature for users.

With that in mind Blackberry has the opportunity to bring users into their new Blackberry 10 operating system from previous Blackberry devices.

Most importantly the QWERTY keyboard on the Blackberry Q10 could just be the single most important selling point of the Q10 when it comes to giving existing Blackberry owners a choice.  At a gala event this week in Florida Blackberry announced another QWERTY based phone the Q5 which will be cheaper and be the perfect device for “emerging” markets.  Begging the question – if the keyboard can give them those sales – why isn’t the Q10 being given a higher level of importance over the Z10?

What’s the Q10 like?

Thanks to the good folk at MobiCity we’ve got our hands on a Q10 this week.  Unfortunately there is no planned release date for the Q10 in Australia, the device has only just gone on sale in Canada and there is still a month before it goes into the US market.

Blackberry Q10

In the hand the Q10 is probably one of the nicest Blackberry handsets I’ve held.  It’s quite light (139g) and while it’s pretty much all plastic there is a higher level quality to it than with other “plastic” devices like the Samsung Galaxy S4.

Around the back

The entire back of the Q10 is a dimpled plastic with the Blackberry logo in the centre. The 8 Megapixel camera and LED flash are the focus of the top section of the rear side, while on top is the single power button for the device.

Blackberry Q10

Gone are the “left and right side convenience” buttons which were a feature of Blackberry handsets of old.  These buttons were customisable in the OS to be shortcuts for your favourite applications or settings, and I think that’s a missing feature of the Q10 but given the advanced touch-screen gestures and a much more advanced operating system perhaps they won’t be missed.

Around the side of the device is a metallic grey coloured edging.  This would be much better off in actual metal as has been seen on previous handsets, but perhaps for weight and easy of construction that’s not to be on the Q10.

Frontside

There are two things which dominate the front of the Q10.  The 3.1 inch touchscreen and the full QWERTY Keyboard.

Blackberry Q10

The screen is a solid size, but you will feel like you’re missing something in many apps.  On an app like Twitter or Facebook you’ll feel like you need to scroll so much more than should be necessary.

However as with Blackberrys before it the Q10 (Blackberry 10 Operating System) allows for a high level of customisation.  If your eyes can handle it, you can reduce the font down to a very small size to fit more on-screen and this works really well.

The Keyboard

If you’re using a Blackberry with a keyboard now, or remember it fondly – the Q10 is a welcome return with one reservation.  Despite being the leader in Keyboard phones for many many years, Blackberry have abandoned the “curved” keyboards which brought them great success and placed each row of keys in a dead-straight line.  It’s not noticeable to a great extent but there is definitely an element of disappointment in the absolute ease of use that should come from a Blackberry keyboard.

Blackberry Q10

That’s being super picky on this device.  The Q10 keyboard is what any Blackberry user will want – if you don’t like a full touch-screen smartphone then the Q10 is quite simply the only option on the table.

Blackberry 10 – The Operating System

This is not iOS, and it’s certainly not Android.  Blackberry 10 is a unique operating system which has some quite brilliant concepts built-in.

Your “multi-task” apps are all on a single page, and swipe left a few times to find the Blackberry Hub which in one view will show you all your messages – Text, Twitter, Facebook, Calls etc – just like the old combined message centre would show on your Blackberry but with today’s design.

Apps on the Blackberry 10 OS (Z10 and Q10 devices) are fresh and modern looking.  Before this Operating System apps you might have seen on other phones quite simply looked terrible on Blackberry.  Today, your Facebook and Twitter apps look right on par with their iOS and Android counterparts.

The Blackberry App World has 120,000 apps – a lot – that’s for sure, but it’s still missing basic popular apps like Instagram which will bring it down.

Dropbox and Evernote support by default along with Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn mean this really can be both a corporate and a casual device.

Overall

Overall this should be the flagship Blackberry device in 2013 – but instead the company chose to highlight the full-screen Z10 in all its glory and rush it to market.  I think if anything today, Blackberry needs to embrace the keyboard, build on its point of difference – the Q10 is that.

Blackberry Q10 & Z10

If you’re a former Blackberry user now on an iPhone or Android smartphone – unless you hate your current phone, you won’t be back to Blackberry.  But for people without a smartphone, and importantly for current Blackberry users – the Q10 is without doubt a great handset, quality build and a top-notch operating system.  Consider your App needs first then get yourself a Q10.

Unfortunately as stated earlier there is no planned Australian release date at the time of writing.  However, like me – you can jump over to MobiCity and grab one for $749.

Hyundai Veloster

If you’re after near perfect handling, brisk and willing acceleration wrapped up in an in your face breathtaking design that won’t hammer the bottom line – Look no further than the Hyundai Veloster range.

The 10 minute test drive

Brash, manic styling indulges ones senses immediately as you hit the showroom floor.  It’s certainly different, strangely appealing in fact.  There’s a chaotic and inflated interpretation of the i30 front hexagonal grill particularly on turbo models. Two superficial bonnet scoops are a nod towards its underlying athleticism.

Profile wise things start to get really radical, two doors on the passenger side with just one for the driver.

Surely a crime against symmetry? Not at all, it makes perfect sense for a four seater. After awhile its lopsided entry options become irrelevant.

And what about that rear end? I like it. Central and large diameter dual exhaust pipes poke through a complicated and chiselled bumper assembly.  A smallish rear hatch door is hinged to a slopping almost mini like roofline which features an innovative upper glass panel which actually forms part of the roof. It’s quirky but does impede rear vision somewhat; hot days may make life uncomfortable for rear seat passengers.

Jump behind the typical Hyundai button plagued wheel and you’ll find yourself ensconced in Recaro inspired leather seats. Perhaps a little restrictive for those with larger frames the impressive leather pews ensure you sink into the perfect seating position.

On the road it’s immediately obvious the suspension tune and overall balance yearns for bouts of spirited driving. The wheel feels overly heavy at lower speeds and is somewhat reluctant to self centre. But pick up the pace and you realise the Veloster is something quite special.

Ins and outs

For all the flair and showiness this is a Hyundai claiming ‘Hot Hatch’ status. Well it depends on what model you choose to indulge in.

You see the Veloster is two-faced.

Hyundai Veloster

On the one hand there’s the naturally aspirated 1.6 Litre 103 kW / 166 Nm 4 Cylinder. But the same unit with a Turbo charger bolted on alters the numbers to 150 kW / 265 Nm.

EFTM has driven every possible combination of the Veloster. The standard kit, the + model and the SR Turbo. Manual, automatic and state of the art DCT transmissions were also put through the ringer.

If the bank allows it, look no further than the Turbo models. They’re incredibly fun to drive, with perky acceleration making the force feed hatch a real hoot to fang around.

The non turbo models are not as much fun, but nonetheless the underlying inherent precision of the chassis and suspension tune still cater for driving enthusiasts. Just without the 150 Kw gusto.

Paddle shifters on the auto models are flimsy and clearly cheap (as found on i40 models) but actually useful. On the SR Turbo finger flicking through the cogs was quick and precise. However the optional 6 speed double clutch transmission (DCT) on the non turbo models was a let-down. It’s quick, but reluctant when pushed.

Manual models are easy shifters, in fact if I had a choice I’d run with a self shifting turbo.

Bragging rights

Hyundai Veloster

Neighbours will stare curiously at the strange looking futuristic silhouette in the driveway. It’s striking on road presence distracts fellow motorists. There’s some passionate fans of the dynamic Toyota 86 here at EFTM. The Veloster is being spoken about in the same breath by ‘those in the know’ – enough said.

On offer are some exciting paint schemes. A matte grey colour requires its own special hand wash only instruction manual. We drove the SR Turbo covered in ‘Marmalade’. A two-tone paint which produces different effects dependant on what angled viewed from.

The downside? $1000 for the privilege.

The lasting impression

Hyundai offer terrific after sales service. Three years capped price serving is common these days but when married to a five year unlimited KM warranty it becomes an attractive proposition.

Quality across the 2013 Hyundai fleet from the diminutive i20, i30 hatch, larger i40 sedan and Veloster is excellent.  Not quite European standard, but right up there alongside Mazda who just pip them in this area.

The hip pocket

The manual base model starts at $23,990; $25,990 gets you the DCT option. Veloster + up’s the price to $27,990 for the manual and $29,990 with DCT option.

The jewel in the crown SR Turbo hits $31,990 for the manual, $33,990 for the auto. All come in a single standard trim level.

Compare that across the market and you’ll find that Toyota’s 86 coupe is sharply priced from $29,990. Subaru’s BRZ coupe blows out to $37,150. Honda’s CR-Z coupe is also pricier from $34,990.

The EFTM Rubber Stamp

The distinction stamp was very nearly produced here. The only let down is rearward vision issues, steering which is a fraction too heavy and not as perfectly balanced as the Toyota 86. However it eclipses the Toyota in the practicality stakes and is arguably better value.

EFTM Rubber Stamp – a CREDIT for the Hyundai Veloster

The Hyundai Veloster range earns the EFTM Credit Stamp.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 is one the most wanted phones of the moment. Released just days ago the grey market is already doing its thing to bring the $899 sticker price down to well below $700.

At least two sites are offering the Samsung Galaxy S4 (4G) at sub $700 prices.  Kogan offers the phone at $749, while Millennius has cut that even further dropping their price down to $669.

While you might be able to walk into a Samsung Store in Sydney or Melbourne and get your hands on this stunning new phone and walk out with no waiting, or perhaps even your local telco store – those interested in saving dollars might just be keen to wait out the online delivery delays.

Kogan states shipping in 1-2 days, while Millennius says 2-3 days.  EFTM has confirmed with Millennius they have stock on hand and you should have the phone at your door in 5 days.  But don’t take our word for it!  This is online shopping after all.

So – at $669 Millennius has you covered for quite possibly the best price on the Samsung Galaxy S4, especially for the 4G version – get clicking!

Price: $669 (4G) (Millennius) / $749 (4G) (Kogan)

Web: Millennius / Kogan

Braven 570

Speakers used to just be about audio quality, today they must have quality, design and function – take some time to check out the many wireless speakers on the market and you’ll find some funky designs, a wide range of different audio quality and plenty of different features.  Braven is a brand that’s just hitting the Australian market and we reckon they tick a whole lot of boxes.

Audio quality from these very small speakers is impressive, a strong sound with good bass given the size of the speakers.  Rather than something big that sits fixed in a room or is less than portable, all three models of Braven speakers are good for your room or on the go.  When you consider you can plonk a Braven speaker in the middle of a table at a family BBQ or perhaps even poolside, then queue up some tunes on your phone and you’re going to get great sound which will surprise many.

Braven 570

When it comes to design the Braven look is industrial and edgy, with a mix of materials to suit the amount you want to spend.  The lowest priced Braven speaker – the 570 – has a plastic casing with the same  design of its more expensive brother the 650 yet is available in multiple colours.

Braven 650

The 650 has a metal casing which not only looks and feels better but does produce a slightly different quality of sound, yet likely unnoticeable to the vast many music fans around the country.

Rounding out the fleet for Braven is the rugged BRV-1 which looks like it could take a few drops and spills and might be at home either on a work site or by the pool or beach.  It’s water-resistant so those spills are easily managed so pop the BRV-1 poolside and enjoy the day.

Braven BRV-1

Another place the BRV-1 might find a place in your home is the bathroom!  Alongside the bath, or even in the shower (perhaps up on the shelf – not directly in the water-flow) the water-resistant BRV-1 will cope well and mean you’re not singing to an unheard tune.

Here’s where it gets interesting. Function.  These Braven speakers are not just speakers.  They are also hands-free speakerphones for your mobile.  If that means you’re poolside the BRV-1 can host your conversation while the phone sits safe from the pool.  If you’re having a group conference call you can put any one of the three Braven models on the table for all to hear and take part in the conversation.

Braven speaker as a conference call speakerphone

Nope, speakerphone functions are not unique to Braven speakers, however when you combine that with a third key feature the price tag of these speakers becomes more and more appetising.  Imagine your portable speaker had enough battery in it to not only stream your music wirelessly but to also charge your phone.

There’s enough battery in each to fill your phone or even add a heap of charge to your tablet.

For those interested in the detail:

• Braven 570 offers 10 hours music playback time, with a 1000mAH battery, in a polymer case available in Black, Blue and Red
• Braven 650 offers 20 hours music playback time, with a 2000mAH battery and is made of “aircraft-grade” aluminium
• Braven BRV-1 offers 12 hours music playback time, with a 1200mAH battery and is IPX5 certified water-resistant and has a rubberised shockproof casing and is available in Grey or Blue.

Braven speakers have just gone on sale in Australia, the BRV-1 is available at Apple nationally.  For a full list of retailers check the Braven website.

Braven Speaker in a Kitchen environment

Price: 570 $149,99, 650 $199.99 and the BRV-1 $199.99
Web: Braven

Jawbone Up

If you are not using a gadget to in some way track your health or wellbeing, or perhaps to help you with a diet or exercise – you will very soon be in the minority. Health and fitness is a booming sector in the world of technology and the wearable technology that enables all these things is today’s fashion and tomorrow’s better living.  We’ve been road testing the Jawbone Up for the last few weeks and it’s pretty darn impressive.

Jawbone’s idea with the “Up” is an arm-band that you will wear it all the time and allow it to track your every waking and sleeping moment.  The device itself will track your steps and your sleep movements and even wake you up in the morning, while the associated app for your iPhone allows you to enter your dietary intake and moods along the way.

Jawbone Up App tracking food by manual entry

Manual Entry

Lets look first at the data the armband can’t detect.  What you eat and how you’re feeling.  In the Up app you can enter your food and drink consumption manually by searching for the item and adding it to your daily dietary intake.  This allows you to track calorie intake which when trying to shed some kilos is your best bet when combined with regular exercise.

You’ve got to really want to know your food intake to go this far, for my mind it was a fun feature but without regular prompts or a simple way to enter the data it became more of a chore than a benefit

All seeing – all knowing arm band

This is where the Up really hits its straps, forget the app for a moment.  This flexible curved armband clips around your wrist in one of three sizes to suit your wrist.  It has just three key components.  The button, the indicators and the plug.

Jawbone Up

The single square button on one end of the armband allows you to switch the armband from day-mode into night mode, and through some nifty modes like workout tracking and power nap mode.

The indicator lights let you know if you are in day-mode, night-mode or if your battery is running low – with 10 days from a full charge you basically need to remember to plug the Up band in to charge each week to be sure you’re not left stranded.

During the day the precision motion sensor is tracking your movement, allowing you to see on a day-to-day basis how many steps you take and how far you walk.  Sure any basic pedometer can do that, the difference with the Jawbone Up is that it keeps track of this on a day-to-day basis, and can also show your movement in a chart showing not just a total number but the movement across each individual day.

You could essentially go days and days without plugging the Up band into your phone and when you do you will get your day by day stats at a glance.

Jawbone Up – 3.5mm connector

On the other end of the Up band is a cover which when removed exposes a simple 3.5mm jack which you’d normally see on headphones.  Plug the Up into your iPhone using this jack and the data stored on board will be transferred into the Up app.

Does it look ok?

I’ve been rocking a light blue Jawbone Up arm-band.  My kids on day-one told me they liked my new “bracelet” – not a great start.  More than anything wearing an arm-band like this does attract conversation. Especially if like me you’re normally only wearing a watch.  Overall I think it looks great, it’s pretty neutral in design and comes in multiple colours so you should find one for you.

Jawbone Up

I found it uncomfortable to wear on my right arm while my watch is on the left.  Perhaps I’m used to my watch now so I don’t notice it when typing, but with the Up armband on the right wrist I felt out of place.  So, I chose to wear the Up on the same wrist as my watch – just felt natural that way.  The only problem was when I wasn’t wearing a watch I’d glance at the Up arm-band for the time.

Jawbone Up – Colour options

It’s extremely durable and waterproof – designed and tested ready to be worn at all times, including in the shower.  Again, that just felt abnormal to me, so it comes off at shower time.

Can it really help?

The thing about wellbeing is that you need to want to improve your habits.  I’ve been using an app called “Sleep Cycle” for several years – sitting my phone on the bed and tracking my sleep movements.  Over the 300+ nights I’ve been using it I’ve improved not only the quality of my sleep but also the amount of sleep I’m getting.  The Jawbone Up does just the same, but 24/7.

You set a sleep target (hours) and a step target per day and you will find yourself annoyed if you miss the targets and just a little stoked when you break through the targets.

With social being the way of the world you can create a network of friends to share your data with and effectively compete together and share motivation.

The killer-app for my mind is the vibrating wake-up.  Just like my “sleep cycle” app, the Jawbone Up is constantly monitoring your sleep, moving between awake, light sleep and deep sleep.  The genius here is that you set your alarm time, and within say 30 mins of that time the Up band will wake you up by vibrating on your arm at a moment of light sleep.  The idea being you don’t get woken up while in a deep sleep – unless of you hit your desired alarm time.  All you do is set the alarm time (say 6am) and a duration before (say 30 mins) and the Up might wake you any time from 5.30 onward.

The combination of these things alone will ensure it has a positive effect on your overall wellbeing.

So – what’s the Upshot (intentional pun) 

The Up app for iPhone is beautiful, a stunning user interface which matches the design effectiveness of the band itself.  Entering all the things you eat and drink is tedious and frankly useful only for the total dietary narks.  Once you get used to wearing the arm band itself the data will make you border on obsessed.  Trying to reach and beat your daily targets as well as looking at when and how well you sleep will make you think twice about staying up for that one extra TV show.

Jawbone Up – The ins and outs

If improving your sleep, getting a better alarm and understanding your daily movements is your thing, this is an easy win for you and at $149 it’s not too high of  a price to pay.

Price: $149

Web: Jawbone

Philips AquaTouch wet and dry

Believe it not today’s modern man is  seeking  tools that help look their best, unless you’ve decided to completely let yourself go (look no further than EFTM’s Trevor Long.) To the rescue come the good people at Phillips who’ve launched the AquaTouch range of electric shavers with the added benefit of wet or dry versatility.

Philips AquaTouch

Ask any clean-shaven bloke how to get the ultimate shave and you’ll likely get a multitude of different suggestions.  From shaving cream, blade quality, technique and even post shave care the seemingly simple task of achieving a close non damaging shave appears quite a skill to master.

Personally I’ve always turned to a good quality blade which is an expensive habit, particularly given my weakness for gimmicks. The number of buzzing, vibrating, moisture infused, titanium, diamond encrusted,  ergonomic , cutting edge, super-duper, state of the art blades I’ve fallen for is quite ridiculous.

So when Phillips new AquaTouch electric shaver arrived at EFTM headquarters I was the first to knock it off.

I’ve tried the odd electric shaver over time, but always a dry one.  The AquaTouch can be used wet or dry. It’s fully waterproof when used in conjunction with your favourite foam or gel, even in the shower.

It provides a nice shave, albeit a little more time consuming than a traditional blade. It takes several attempts to get an adequate result; I found it particularly struggled with the neck area.

One of the advantages of an electric shaver is the near impossibility of nicks and razor burn.  On more than one occasion during my typical 5am stupor I’ve inflicted  a Norman Gunstan type haemorrhage. (The chances of this increase 10 fold if you use Aldi branded blades, trust me I’ve been through that phase)

Philips AquaTouch

To use some Phillips marketing jargon the AquaTouch provides a shield from such calamities due to its;

“rounded low-friction cups that adjust automatically to the curves of your face, as we’ll as a Super Lift & Cut feature that helps to lift hairs away from the skin before cutting them to guarantee a close shave”

Overall I was happy with Phillips little creation and reckon it’ll remain a mainstay of my morning routine.  It negates the need for regularly replacing costly blunt manual blades. Although only time will tell how long the Phillips blade system remains’ effective.

It’s user friendly and uncomplicated.  50 plus minutes of cordless shaving is possible on just one charge. There are 2 models available, the AT890 model retails for $199 (as tested) and its cheaper sibling the AT750 for $99. The only real difference between the 2 is a pop up trimmer on the pricier model and longer charge.

But to all blokes out there a cautionary warning! It’s indisputable a decent razor is far more likely to ward off the 5 o’clock shadow. With the Phillips AquaTouch those annoying little bristles may rear their ugly heads instead at 1530 hours.

Over and out.

Price: $199

Web: Philips

Kogan Agora Smartphone

If you’re in the know and you’re happy signing up for long-term plans or have the cash to buy a top of the line smartphone outright you probably don’t need to look at the lower end of the market.  However, if you’re just looking to get your first smartphone or want a cheap way to get a new handset outright the Kogan Agora might just be what you’re looking for.

It’s $149 and that’s one of the cheapest smartphones you’ll find anywhere on the market and in picture comparisons and looking side by side it’s hard not to mistake it for being the almost twin sibling to the Samsung Galaxy Note.  If you were able to hold the Agora in one hand and the Note in another you’d realise it’s just not the same.

The Kogan Agora is a heavier, slightly more bulky and seemingly a more plastic ridden and when you turn them on you’ll realise the screen on the Note is far superior than the Agora.

The screen is my biggest negative about the Agora, it just doesn’t seem bright enough for my liking.  Why is that?  I’m spoilt.  I get to play with the latest phones from a whole host of manufacturers so I am literally used to stunning screens with super high resolutions.

The Agora isn’t meant to compete with the $800 and $900 phones on the market, it’s purpose is to provide a low-cost outright purchase option in the Smartphone world.  It’s running Android 4 which is just fine for the average user, and has all the core features of any other smartphone.

Kogan Agora Smartphone

So what are you missing out on?

Speed: The Kogan Agora features a dual-core processor which gets the job done, but it has just 512MB of RAM.  That’s not going to give you app performance like that on high-end phones, but do you care?  Likely not.  This phone will browse the web well, will be great for email, and you’ll be able to play almost all the top games and use apps your friends recommend.  They perhaps won’t launch as fast on the Agora that’s all.

Quality: There is something cheap about the feeling of the Agora, both in weight and build quality.  The screen seems remarkably small compared to the whole device – not something we see in higher end phones these days.

Screen: As mentioned the screen isn’t as bright as it could be, nor does it have the higher resolution possible in many phones today.

Putting that aside – what are the benefits?

Dual SIM Cards: This thing allows you to put two SIM cards in it.  Why? Some people have a work and private phone, now you can have both those numbers in one phone.  Or you could have an overseas SIM and your own while travelling.  One SIM slot allows 3G, the other 2G.  You can choose the default SIM to use for phone calls and data use.  It’s very cool – but I don’t see a huge number of people using both slots.

It is a smartphone: Moving from an older ‘dumb phone’ you’ll be looking for an introduction to the smartphone world.  As I’ve said, for web, email and apps, this will do the job.  A huge majority of people are using phone and text still as the primary function of a phone, to join the huge shift worldwide to smartphones and get access to the web and email, plus perhaps Facebook and Twitter you’re going to get just what you need from the Agora smartphone

Price: It’s $149 people! You simply won’t find better bang for your buck in any smartphone.

It’s not for me, but for many people this is just what is needed to get an introduction into the world of smartphones.  Buy the Kogan Agora, then get yourself a low-cost pre-paid mobile plan.  When you realise you’re loving what is possible on smartphones then perhaps look at upgrading down the track to something with a better screen and a bit more grunt.

Price: $149
Web: Kogan

Kogan Agora Smartphone

The pros:

1) Mean performance: The Ford Focus ST is one helluva powerful car. More so than the Golf GTi. Through the front wheels you’re getting 188kW. It’s truly a monster car for its size (but a bit shy of what the older Focus RS was delivering). You really feel the power thanks to the torque steer that Ford left in. Hit the throttle and you will be physically pushed back into your seat as the car hits 100kph in around 6.5 seconds from the 2.0 litre turbocharged engine. Do it a few times and you’ll likely become quite nauseous. When you hit the throttle in this car you have to mean it.

2) Practicality: It’s a hot hatch with a serious performance kick but it’s still mighty practical. While the chunky Recaro sports seats lay claim to a vast amount of real estate, and the cluttered dashboard can make you feel a bit cramped at times, but there is still plenty of space in the car, particularly in the boot. We managed to get a chest of draws in there (nope, still don’t know why we did that). It was a small chest, to be fair. Two adults will fit in the back although the harsh ride of a sportscar won’t make it a particularly comfortable trip.

3) Style: Ford has finally caught up with the European crowd in terms of looks. The basic Focus is a slick piece of design and the ST continues with the trend adding the Aston Martin style mean front grille to the car’s face. The rear is something to behold as well with an almost comically large rear spoiler and single exhaust positioned in the middle. The car sits 10mm lower than the XR5 Turbo it replaces and when you add this to the beefy body work it’s quite a site. Just maybe not in that bee yellow Ford uses for the promotional material.

4) Technology: It’s pretty much got everything a modern car should without it having to be an option. Which is not surprising being that the ST is the current top of the line Focus. You get sat nav, voice control, Bluetooth phone and audio streaming, dual-zone climate control, rain-sensing wipers, engine start button, Sony audio with nine thumping speakers and rear view camera. But as we mentioned before, that is one cramped dashboard. It looks more like the cockpit of a Boeing 747 – you feel like if you press the wrong button one of the seats will eject.

5) Individuality: How many Focus STs do you see on the road? Now how many Golf GTis do you see on the road? OK, so it’s not a great reason, but it’s still a reason. If you’re after pure performance you will be every bit as pleased with a Focus ST, if not more so, that a Golf GTi. But that may count against you when it comes to resale value, as the GTi has a notoriously high return rate which is great for new car buyers. But then again, you’ll be paying less for a Focus ST in the first place when you consider it starts at $38,290 plus on roads.

Cons?

Well, there are, and some we mentioned above. Unknown resale value, torque steer that – while built-in on purpose – can be quite annoying, acceleration that is on the verge of uncomfortable. Also, you may need a doctorate to operate the dashboard controls. But that’s about all we could come up with. It’s a pretty solid package that will take on any hot hatch out there.

Web: Ford Australia

Solio Bolt solar powered battery pack – comes with Pencil for support

I’ve tried a few Solar chargers before and while they certainly work, you’re better of watching grass grow.  The speed at which a solar charger is able to pump power into your phone or other portable device will send you quickly into old age.

Enter a nifty solution called the Solio Bolt.  This is a solar charger with a difference.  Built into the device itself is actual battery power.  So when the Solio Bolt is out in the sun it’s not charging your phone, it’s charging its own battery.

Solio Bolt charging a GoPro camera

The Solio Bolt has two USB connections, one for charge coming in, the other for charge going out.

So when at home or hotel you can plug it into the wall and in 4-5 hours the battery is fully charged ready for 1-2 recharges of your smartphone.

When you’re out and about – on a good sunny day with the Solio Bolt pointed in the right direction you can recharge the battery in around 8 hours.  For the average user in average conditions you will need to allow more, even double – however that hidden beauty of having a battery on board comes into play when you can throw the Solio Bolt up on the dashboard of the car when it’s parked for hours on end and all the while you’re charging it up.

A good evolution of the Solar charger concept and certainly recommended if you’re out and about a lot and suffer from the dreaded 1% battery problem.

Price: $129.95

Web: Solio

Samsung have announced the follow up to it’s highly successful Galaxy S III – unsurprisingly called the Galaxy S4, while around the same time in your local telco store you’ll also find top notch offerings from Sony, HTC, LG and Blackberry.

All this, and we don’t even know what Apple have coming for us mid-year.

We’ve put the specifications for these six phones side by side so you can see for yourself just how hard the decision might be if you’re in the market for a new smartphone this side of Christmas.

You can take those “specs” and make an informed decision based just on data.  However, among the confusion of size and weight and specifications there is one thing you can’t “chart” – look and feel.

HTC One

As far as EFTM is concerned the HTC One is probably the best of the bunch as far as overall look and feel goes.  This is a solidly built phone which has a feel of value and quality to it – justifying the expense or long term contract you’ll have had to sign to get that bad boy in your pocket.

Apple iPhone 5

The iPhone 5 still comes in as the lightest and sleekest performer.  Reliable every day and when there is an almost limitless supply of accessories on the market you’re going to be pleased when trying to add some bling to your phone.

Sony Xperia Z

The Sony Xperia Z is the darkhorse on the subjective front – with a stunning design and the “under the hood” technology SONY brings to the device it’s got to be on your list.

Samsung Galaxy S4

It’s strange to list the Samsung Galaxy S4 behind these devices in terms of pecking order, however this is a device that hasn’t changed in design or construction and while it’s got some solid features in both hardware and software the overall packaging still reaks of plastic and lacks a total quality feel.

LG Optimus G

Rounding out the bunch are the LG Optimus G and Blackberry Z10.  These are for those of you who want to be different.  Still outstanding devices in their own right and you’ll be happy with the purchase, the LG doesn’t stack up on the feature front and the Blackberry 10 Operating system while advanced in Blackberry terms has a long way to go on the App availability front before it can truly content with those above.

Blackberry Z10

We reckon you’ll be blown away by each and every one of the above six if you can get your hands on them in your local telco store – have a good look and feel before making that important decision for your next phone or you’ll be looking over your shoulder for a long time!

The LED lenser F1 is a small torch measuring just under 9cm long and weighing just 69 grams.  It’s metal body and precision construction give it a quality feeling in the hand, and it would want to for $120!

LED Lenser F1

If it had a Batman logo over the lens you’d be able to shine this little thing into the air to signal your local super-hero.

Like me you probably haven’t heard of lumens of light – the measure by which the amount of light coming from a torch or other light can be listed and measured.  The F1 blasts out 400 Lumens – almost turning light into day.  This isn’t for around the house in a blackout (although it does a bloody good job in these circumstances).  If you’re a tradie or someone who enjoys the great outdoors the LED lenser F1 will be a great addition to your kit-bag.

LED Lenser F1 in its component parts

On the negative side it does use a non-common battery size (CR123) which means you’re going to have to keep spares of a whole new type around the house or in the car. However you’ll get a decent life from the battery with regular intermittent use.

The torch has three modes; Full Power, Half Power and Strobe, all activated with a double click of the power button on the end of the device.

Finally, for those who find themselves in tricky situations there is also an alternate lens cover which – although I didn’t test it – I’m reliably informed will help you smash glass if needed.

For $120 this is not for everyone, but if you want a rugged, durable and super high-powered torch in the smallest of form factors, check out the LED Lenser F1

Price: $119.95

Web: LED Lenser

Hyundai i30 Active

Brand snobs wake up. Not only is Hyundai producing cars on par with far more expensive and fancied rivals, it’s also lighting up the sales charts – In March they outsold Holden in Australia for the first time ever.  We’ve driven the top of the line Santa Fe already so this time we’re having a look at the smaller and very popular i30.

The 10 minute test drive

EFTM was recently let loose in the entry-level i30 Active Petrol and the showy i30 Premium Diesel.

Hyundai i30 Premium

It’s common fare these days for manufactures to devise creative catch phrases that inspire their individual design philosophies. Hyundai’s is ‘fluidic sculpture’ and the i30′s form is an extension of this – ‘aero active’

In the i30′s case the ‘fluidic sculpture’ design form has been applied exceedingly well. The German influence has erased memories of its dull conservative predecessor.

In the glamour stakes the i30 is a bit of a player. Sweeping and then stretched back headlamps matched by a yawning hexagonal grill provide the eye candy from front on. Tasteful front flared wheel arches flow back into a high crease line which rises to meet the rear tail lights which wrap around the corners. The shapely nose is relatively short but met by a steeply raked and sleek windscreen.

Jump inside this ‘fluidic sculpture’ and it’s obvious how the Korean’s are quickly mounting a strong case against the aforementioned brand snobs.

Considering the price there’s very little to fault with cabin presentation and build quality. The upper dash is layered with appealing soft touch plastic, the piano black centre stack falls between an aluminium look border with instrumentation that offers convincing levels of quality.

There’s no shortage of steering wheel mounted switch gear, with up to 14 different functions on hand.

There’s numerous storage options up front with a deep storage bin, sizeable door pockets and a generous glove box.

I was most impressed with the comfort levels. The seats have been very well executed with just the right amount of side bolstering and overall cushiness. The rear pew is an acceptable place for large adults with better than you might think space levels.

In’s and out’s

The i30 is served up in 3 different trim levels. Active, Elite and Premium. We sampled the bottom and top-tier.

The Active was pulled along by a 1.8 litre, 110kW/170Nm 4 cylinder petrol six speed auto. It’s hardly mind-blowing, trust me. But it’s smooth and refined and is right at home shuffling one around town with minimal fuss.

Our i30 Premium experience allowed us the opportunity to sample the decidedly better 1.6 litre turbo diesel 4 cylinder with 94kW/260N also with the auto. On a drag strip there be little between the 2 engines, but the diesel is more efficient and seemingly a better match for the over all package. There’s some lag early, but I’ve experienced far worse. The auto is crisp and precise but perhaps a little hesitant to kick down at times. The power-plant is exceptionally quiet, even with the windows down. I consider it to be a leading example of how a modern day diesel should be.

Hyundai i30 Active

Standard features across the range are class leading, there’s plenty of ticks in boxes here. Cruise control, rear parking sensors, fog lights, Bluetooth and iPod connectivity, USB input and touchscreen display are a start.

Seven airbags and the typical array of safely systems earn the must have 5 star ANCAP rating.

For those who like seconds and even thirds the mothership Premium variant will satisfy any appetite. Highlights include a panoramic glass sunroof which at the touch of a button transfers the hatch into an observatory. Keyless entry and ignition, sat-nav, dusk-sensing headlamps, rain-sensing wipers, larger 17 inch wheels and quality leather seats with front heating and for added safety HID headlamps complete the package.

The i30 is a solid little handler. It’s composed most of the time and remains constantly flat when moderately pushed through corners. But unexpected pot holes can be quite jarring, it’s a firm ride but the chassis tune can almost be described as sporty.

The one feature which confounded me most across the range was the FlexSteer variable steering. On paper it’s an impressive feature that allows you cycle through Comfort, Normal and Sport steering settings. Practically it achieves very little, noticeable but minor changes in steering tune are evident. But cmon, we’re not talking about a hot hatch here, I don’t see the point.

Bragging rights

The i30 is quite a lauded car and has been named Australia’s Best Small Car under $35,000.

Hyundai i30 Premium

Hyundai under its iCare program offer an exceptional unlimited 5 year warranty and 3 years of capped price servicing.

If none of the above is enough you could resort to “It’s totally fluidic man”

The lasting Impression

Future ownership of your new Hyundai i30 should be relatively painless. Anecdotally stories of durability and reliability are often told by loyal customers. On the styling front with all those sculpted, chiseled and flowing lines it hopefully wont date to rapidly either.

The Hip Pocket

Hyundai i30 Premium

Starting at $20,990 for the Active 1.8 manual prices escalate right through to the range topping Premium 1.6 diesel Automatic at $32,590.

At the pump we averaged 8.1 litres for the petrol and 6.8 litres for the diesel. (Extended bouts of enthusiastic driving should be taken into account!)

The EFTM Rubber Stamp

Hyundai i30 – A CREDIT from EFTM

When shopping around for a small hatchback do yourself a favour and simply go and sit inside an i30. Aside from it’s showroom floor static appeal getting up close and personal with one will surprise many. It earns the EFTM credit rating.

There are a few interesting things about the Pong mobile phone and tablet range of products.  They claim not only to reduce the impact of radiation on you by redirecting it outward, but also that their cases improve the mobile reception on your device.

Horse s@#t I hear you say.  Well, yeah, the biggest issue with these lofty claims is testing it.  Not even the most professional mobile phone reviewer I know has the ability to test this – so who are we to question the claims?  Well, we’re skeptics, as you should be.  Plenty of shonky products out there.

So lets first look at the case itself without these claims.  The case is light, thin and has a great look with a matt black backing and chrome like outer edge.  It’s a great looking case.  But, it’s around the $60 mark – so is the design itself worth that amount?  Nope.  Not for a moment.

Back to those original claims then – does the Pong redirect radiation?  Wired magazine is a publication with great respect among geeks and nerds of the world.  Originally, they too questioned these claims.  It wasn’t until Wired got access to a mobile phone radiation test lab.  The results were amazing.  In Wired’s own words:

In other words, Pong’s claims seem to be legitimate: Its case reduces the amount of radiation going from the iPhone into your head to a third of what it would be without the case. Contrary to what we initially wrote on the Pong case, it does appear to work.

So when you combine these results with the general look and feel of the Pong case – this is one well worth considering – especially for those worry worts among us.

It’s the one case I’ve left on my phone for more than a week – It suits my phone and feels great in the hand and when in the pocket.

The price tag might not be as comfortable on the hip pocket – if you’re after peace of mind, perhaps $60 isn’t all that bad.

Price: $59.95

Web: Pong Mobile Australia

Ruslan Kogan

Problems for Kogan Mobile customers range from refusal to recharge and requesting they “churn” to another provider right up to users with active paid up accounts suddenly losing all network access for no apparent reason.

The problem for Ruslan Kogan – a man who normally controls the product chain from factory to the customer door – is that he is almost completely hands-off when it comes to the operation of Kogan Mobile.  Independent third party company ISP One is currently the sole wholesaler of the Telstra network, providing the “virtual” mobile network to both Kogan mobile and the recent entry ALDI mobile.

ISP One handles customer calls, emails and the connection and disconnection of accounts, and it seems from today’s legal action they are a bit more aggressive than Kogan would hope.

Today’s injunction seeks to uphold the existing commercial relationship Kogan Mobile have with ISP One which Kogan seems to hope will stop the disconnection and suspension of its mobile users.

EFTM understands that a wholesaler like ISP One is most likely buying access to the Telstra network on a per minute and per Kb of data rate.  It seems the deal they did with Kogan (and therefore Aldi) was to assume that they could offer the retailer (Kogan in this case) an “unlimited plan” on the basis that the usage wouldn’t cost them more than they were selling it at.  Perhaps they misunderstood the usage patterns of today’s price savvy mobile users?

Whatever the case, the Kogan brand is copping quite a hammering online over this issue and boss Ruslan Kogan won’t be keen for that to continue.  Perhaps we will have to expect to see new prices and new plans from Kogan mobile after the dust settles on this current round of disconnections and refusals of service.

HTC One

How do you connect F1 to the HTC One? Well, F1 cars are fast, Vodafone has a huge involvement with the McLaren team, and with Vodafone selling the new and fast HTC One then things are all coming together. The truth is, I’d accept any invitation to be at an F1 Grand Prix so didn’t even bother to overthink the reasons.

The Look

HTC One

HTC has been a bit quiet for what seems like a year now, with no major new devices, or headline grabbing announcements. But Its silence is justified from the very first moment you hold the HTC One in your hand. 

Solid feel, metal construction, intricate detail and a fresh looking design all combine to create a stunning device. The lines along the back, combined with the speakers on the front give it a unique look which you respect even more when you feel it in your hand.

HTC One – Compared up close to the iPhone 5

For me, the HTC One is the best looking smartphone on the market, and it easily matches Apple for quality of fit and construction.

The Features

With a 4.7 inch Full HD display running 468ppi, this is one of those large phones that seem to be all the rage right now.  It’s powered by a quad-core processer and weighs just 143grams so it’s not going to weigh you down but it will certainly be able to keep up.

HTC One – Front facing speakers

For the HTC One, the front-facing speakers make for a great mobile gaming experience.  Why more phones aren’t doing this is beyond me.

HTC One

BlinkFeed is a silly name for a great idea. On the home screen of your HTC One is a world of content drive by your social networks or and or your categories of interest. Tell it you like Motorsport and Technology you’ll always see the latest trending news and stories from those topics.  

Because it’s the home screen of your device you’re always going to see it and it does become, even in a very short space of time, a compelling place to glance and scroll through to keep up to date.  

It’s a top feature which you may find being canned by hardcore phone nuts but that’s just because they’re looking for the “raw” Android experience.

The second great feature is the camera. But not because it takes photos at a certain resolution. The HTC One has some simple software features that will give your photos a new lease on life. 

One-press and you can capture 20 photos and 3 seconds of video. You can choose the best shot, and combine the shots using Photoshop-like functions to get rid of those people who walked past while your friend was posing for the photo.  

For action shots, you can use multiple images and overlay them together to give a new perspective to a still photo. If all that is too much, as a base line camera it takes great photos.

Add to that quality sound and the ability to use the phone as your TV remote using infra-red combined with an online interactive program guide and you’re starting to get the picture that this is one cracking good phone.

The summary

HTC One

Overall it’s hard not to fall in love with this device. Stunning good looks, excellent quality of design and construction, great sound, great screen, innovative features and you’re going to be scratching your head putting it side by side with the big guns of Smartphone world to decide what to buy.

Price: $0 on a $50 plan
Web: Vodafone / HTC

Trevor Long travelled to Melbourne as a guest of Vodafone

When we pulled together $6,000 worth of fantastic prizes we didn’t just want to give it away, we wanted to find out once and for all what was Australia’s favourite sport. The results might just surprise you.

So, was it AFL? Or NRL? Or maybe badminton? Over 1,000 people took the time to explain their favourite sport to us and why.

We always knew it would be a battle of the codes, and this time round, AFL was the winner. 18.8% of entries mentioned AFL (or mentioned “Footy” and were from the southern states). NRL was a close second with 15.4% of the vote.

To our surprise (and a little delight we have to say) Motorsport came in third with 12.8%.

Football (Most commonly in our entries called Soccer) was fourth with 7.8% with cricket and tennis rounding out the key sports with 5.7% and 4.3% respectively.

Perhaps unsurprisingly given our love for creativity, there were at least two people who suggested their “bedroom” activities were a favourite sport of theirs. Beard growing, ghosting, Wii Sports, drinking, yabbie catching and roller derby were up there for unique but we’ve pulled together the editorial team here at EFTM to narrow it down to just one who caught our eye.

John Staley From Moe in Victoria seems to know a bit more than the average person about the fine art of cheese rolling.

Cheese rolling, it’s so technical, you must have the right consistency cheese so it doesn’t fall apart at extreme revolution, perfectly round to reduce rolling friction, the right flavour, because if you loose, you can always eat your entry.

John, we take our hat off to you and are delighted to say you’ve won yourself over $6,000 worth of fantastic prizes from the good people at Lenovo, Kogan, Sony Playstation, Casio, and Ferrari by Logic 3.

We’ll be in touch to get all your details mate!

Thanks to everyone for entering, we’ll have another great competition very soon!

According to the Nivea product announcement, sweat caused by anxiety is actually smellier than traditional heat sweat as well, which is probably why those stains in your good shirt’s armpits still smell after several wash cycles.

The good news, should you believe it, is that the new anti-perspirant deodorant from Nivea uses a unique anti-bacterial formula and a zinc complex to keep even the most intense stress sweat under control.

According to Nivea’s scientific and regulatory affairs manager Ken Lee, there’s a lot more to sweat than just salt and water.

“Thermal sweating is the body’s reaction to temperature and physical exercise where eccrine sweat glands start to release sweat all over the body in an attempt to cool down. This is the type of sweating anti-perspirant deodorants generally address,” Lee explains to EFTM.

“The second type is emotional sweating, which occurs independently of ambient temperature and is your body’s automatic reaction when facing a heightened emotionally stressful situation, like a job interview, public speaking or even before a first date. In addition to other signs of emotional stress such as heart beating faster or feeling flustered, the apocrine sweat glands are activated, releasing sweat and other substances that result in a stronger body odour.”

There’s a reason you smell worse than the wife

What’s more, men and women’s sweating isn’t the same. As Lee explains:

“There are subtle differences in the type and distribution of sweat glands between males and females, for example, men have fewer apocrine sweat glands in the underarms compared to women whilst overall producing more sweat than women. This can mean a stronger resulting malodour from women’s underarms in stressful situations compared to men.

“Interestingly, there are also subtle racial differences too – for example, east Asians have been found to have fewer apocrine glands than people of European or African descent. More intriguing still are gender differences in the perception of resulting body odour from stress sweating – for example, women evaluate male body odour to be more unpleasant than men, hinting at our more primeval pheromone-driven communication to achieve behavioural outcomes.”

This results in a slightly different product from Nivea for men and women, as Lee tells us that “From a formulation perspective, these differences are addressed by careful selection of fragrance compounds.”

What makes body odour stink?

Want to know why you reek after a gym session. According to Lee, it’s all about the apocrine sweat.

“Strong body odour is a largely result of the breakdown (metabolism) of apocrine sweat, which are richer with microbial nutrients compared to ecrine sweat, such as proteins, lipids, sulphur-containing amino acids, volatile fatty-acids and steroids. Ecrine sweat in comparison is largely composed of salt and water,” Lee says.

“The nutrients in the apocrine sweat are very much genetically controlled, hence the differences between men and women, and between pre-pubescent teens and adolescents. It is also influenced by dietary and medicinal intake.”

Available for both men and women in spray and roll-on options, pricing starts at $3.78 and will hit shelves in mid-April.

Price: From $3.78
Web: Nivea

There are three different models in the Bausele range – the Yachting, Ocean Moon and Vintage. We’re guessing you can tell what the first and third are all about but for those scratching their head on the Ocean Moon, that would be a watch for surfers – moon, tide, waves… you get it, right?

Christopher Hoppe is the brains behind the Bausele brand. “Inspiration struck when I was walking on the beach in Newcastle one day and saw mines in the horizon, red earth and sand,” he said. “That’s when the idea for Bausele and the desire to create premium watches was born. I wanted to make something that is unique to the country, doesn’t compromise on high design or quality and gives people the opportunity to take a piece of Australia with them. Each watch is a fashion statement, a functional timepiece and a story in itself.”

Making the brand (which, by the way, stands for Beyond Australian Elements) even more unique is that actual elements of Australia are used in the watches construction. Red earth, sand or coal are in the crown of each Bausele watch.

If you want one, you can only grab them online. The Vintage will set  you back $248, the Ocean Moon $388 and the priciest, the Yachting, will do $588 worth of damage to your wallet.

Hardly Tag Heuer pricing. Each watch comes with a warranty of five years and is 200 metres water resistant.

Web: Bausele

PosterCandy 70x100cm Print in IKEA Frame

PosterCandy is a Sydney company that allows you to simply enter your Instagram account details and in a matter of moments design a print from 30 x 40cm right up to 70 x 100cm in size. You can have between 12 and 176 photos printed depending on the size you choose and how many rows and columns of photos you want displayed.

Thanks to PosterCandy I ordered two prints. The first was 50x50cm, the second was the giant 70×100.

PosterCandy Website – selecting your photos

50cm x 50cm PosterCandy print in IKEA frame

My Instagram account has a lot of photos, both random things not related to my home or family life and loads of pics of my kids. Using the PosterCandy software, I clicked “randomise” and the poster populated itself with a mix of photos from Formula 1 to kids. A simple drag and drop removed the F1 pics, and another drag and drop added more photos of the kids, and within minutes I had a finished poster right in front of me.

Sizes available include 30cm x 40cm (RRP $19.95), 40cm x 50cm (RRP $24.95), 50cm x 50cm (RRP $29.95), 50cm x 70cm (RRP $34.95) and 70cm x 100cm (RRP $49.95), plus $9.95 Australia-wide shipping.

Brilliantly, the PosterCandy people have matched their poster sizes to standard Ikea “Ribba” picture frames. For the two prints I ordered, the Ikea frame price was $39.99 for the 50 x 50cm and $59 for the 70 x 100cm. That takes the total price including poster, frame and postage to $118.90 for the big one and $73.89 for the 50 x 50cm.

Price: From $20
Web: PosterCandy

Ruslan Kogan

This issue first came to my attention when I received emails from two listeners to my weekly Your Tech Life podcast – one of whom had been using excessive amounts of data (he’s a truck driver who downloads movies and streams music and videos regularly). The other wasn’t quite sure why he had been disconnected but it seemed to have something to do with the number of times he had tried to recharge his service.

On both occasions their account remained in use, only until they tried to recharge. At that time they were advised by email they were not longer “welcome” to recharge and should port their number to another network.

The founder and face of Kogan, Ruslan Kogan, is pretty clear how he feels about the issues of the last week: “It’s funny how a few “journalists” wanted to take the sensationalist angle on this one. The issues in the last couple of days have only affected 0.2% of Kogan Mobile customers” Kogan told EFTM.

“In the meantime, we’ve had a record week for Kogan Mobile signups. It shows that the average consumer understands what our offer is, wants the best deal in Australia, and rightfully has no concern about the same issue affecting them. The average user (even a heavy one) is not seeking to download torrents on their mobile connection or send thousands of SMS’ per day through a SIM Box.

“Most Aussie consumers understand that even at an “all you can eat” restaurant there are some limits in place, like the restaurant owner is allowed to politely ask Homer Simpson, who eats out the entire restaurant, not to come back for more the next day.

“We’re focused on delivering the absolute lowest price we can for the 99%+ of normal mobile users. In order to deliver for them, it means we need to make sure the 0.2% who are damaging the network can’t ruin it for everyone else.”

There can be ISP One

At the heart of the issue for Kogan Mobile is their indirect dealings with Telstra. Kogan buy the mobile network access through wholesaler ISP One. ISP One has done the core deal with Telstra to wholesale its services, including to the recently launched Aldi Mobile.

With ISP One operating almost every function of the Kogan Mobile operation, it’s actually not Kogan who makes the decision on who to “kick off” the network and what to say to them when that decision is made. It could be argued that is a fault of the business deal Kogan has put in place to get into this brave new world of telecommunications. Was it perhaps naive of Kogan to allow so much control of the customer relationship to be in the hands of another company?

Kogan will today send an email to all the customers directly affected by this “disconnection” stating:

Kogan Mobile procures and on-sells an Unlimited plan with 6GB of data from Telstra’s partner. Telstra’s partner administers the Acceptable Use Policy on behalf of Kogan Mobile.

Telstra’s partner is under significant pressure to limit excess usage on Telstra’s network. This pressure is not being applied by Kogan Mobile.

You were identified by Telstra’s partner, and Telstra’s partner prevented your Kogan Mobile service from being extended without warning to you. This was not done with the authority of Kogan Mobile.

EFTM understands that Kogan Mobile has had over 100,000 sign-ups since its December launch. Today, Kogan Mobile advise that up until this point, the issue of customers being refused reconnection affects around 200 people. It’s a pretty small number for a large amount of fuss. Those customers are being offered $50 vouchers for Kogan Mobile and being told they are welcome back to the network, under a new Acceptable Use Policy.

Kogan Mobile has today updated that policy to include some very clear details. This includes its “learnings” that 1% of the user base makes up the majority of the network utilisation. Most crucially an entire section dedicated to “Inappropriate use of resources” covers off as best they can the way under which the service should not be used. Some of the inclusions in that clause include “You must not:”

stay connected to the Service continuously for an unreasonable amount of time, or download or upload an unreasonable volume of data, given the purposes for which the Service is provided to you and the usage patterns of other users (for example, staying connected continuously for several days, or downloading gigabytes of data in a short period);h) download or upload more than 400MB of data on a single day on three or more occasions in a 30 day period;

download or upload more than 1GB of data on a single day;

recharge your prepaid mobile Service Data plan more than 2 times per 30 day period; or

recharge your prepaid mobile Service Access plan more than once per 30 day period.

These all seem quite common sense, but without them Kogan has caused some concern with users and possibly tarnished their reputation in this space. More likely though there will continue to be waves of people looking to spend a fraction of their standard contracted mobile bill and switch to these low cost providers like Kogan.

The upshot of this whole issue for mobile users across the country is that for 99% of users there is nothing to worry about, you can make loads of calls, send stacks of texts and use all your data… Just not too fast.

Ingredients

• 30ml Grand Marnier
• 30ml Grey Goose L’Orange
• 15ml Cranberry Juice
• 10ml Lime Juice

Tools

• Jigger
• Boston Shaker
• Bar Spoon
• Strainer

Method

Place all the ingredients into a boston shaker filled with ice and shake hard until ice cold. Strain into a chilled martini glass, then garnish with an orange zest.

Web: Sensology

This men-specific version of the popular Bellabox for ladies, the Bellobox contains at least five different sample products delivered every quarter.

Brands included in the sampler include Lqd Skincare, A’kin PureMAN, Biotherm, American Crew and Beauty Mate.

More in store

If you find a particular product works rather well for you, there’s the ability to buy a full product via the Bellabox store, while a loyalty program also offers rewards for referring friends and shopping in the store.

New parents (or friends of prospective parents) might also like the bellababy box, which includes a range of products for babies in their first year.

A subscription to the Bellobox service costs $30 every three months. Given you can spend that much on a single bottle of face cream, this seems like a good way to avoid getting (your skin) burned (by products that don’t suit your skin).

Price: $30 a quarter
Web: Bellabox

This latest trailer gives us the best indication yet of exactly how bad Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch is going to be. The sizzling tension between him and Chris Pine’s Captain Kirk is almost palpable, while the special effects deserve their own special mention. Again.

The movie is all set to hit cinemas on May 9. While that’s little more than a month away, it feels like light years.

Web: Apple Trailers

The beer, which is brewed in the traditional European Pilsner method using only the purest water from Iceland’s native glaciers, has even been given a new bottle design exclusive for the Australian market.

The Aussie bottle features the Norse God Odin atop his throne, while the beer inside is a low-carb, full-strength lager that has won awards around the world for its distinctive flavour.

That’s made even more impressive by the fact that beer was illegal in Iceland right up until 1989.

Assaulting the Dan Murphy’s coastline

Viking Beer is getting an initial release in select metro Dan Murphy’s stores in NSW, QLD, ACT, WA and SA. For everyone else, Dan Murphy’s is also selling the brew online.

Six packs will set you back $18.99, while a full case of 24 will sell for $59.99, which places it slightly higher than premium domestic lagers like Arvo and in line with many imported premiums.

But if you happen to be a try before you buy guy, Dan Murphy’s will be having in-store tastings to celebrate the beer’s launch from April 11.

Price: From $18.99
Web: Dan Murphy’s

The traditional Volley International is the shoe that every Australian has to own. Sure, they get torn up pretty rapidly and soiled quicker than a baby’s nappy, but at just $34.95, that’s usually not a big problem. Just buy two pairs. Realistically a pair should last you around six months before it becomes tattered and worn.

The traditional Volley International came in black or white with a couple of secondary colour options on the tongue like blue or green. Every now and then there was also a special edition Volley International, such as the Olympic or the Australia Day. But now Dunlop has released a whole host of new colours for the classic.

Available now at Volley.com.au you can grab the International in teal blue, burgundy, yellow, blue, green, charcoal, fluoro yellow, navy, olive red or tan. If you can’t find a colour there that would go with your weekend wares, then you’re clearly not trying hard enough.

There is also the emerging trend to wear a good sneaker with a suit, which means you could try your luck with one of the traditional Volley Internationals whilst suiting up.

Grab any of the colours for $34.95 at Volley.com.au with free delivery now.

The end result is stunning, blending bright, vibrant colours and Futura’s urban styling with the distinguished shape of Hennessy’s V.S. bottle.

To create the design, Futura travelled to France to the Hennessy distillery, in order to experience the craft of blending that makes cognac so distinctive.

Only 360,000 individually numbered bottles with the Futura design are being released worldwide, with each bottle costing $70.

Price: $70
Web: Hennessy

The rumour mill has been working overdrive over the past few months in a notably Apple-esque manner, divulging secrets and hinting at features of the fourth generation Galaxy S smartphone.

What is known is the fact that Samsung is unveiling the new handset at an event called UNPACKED in New York on March 14 (around 9am March 15 AEST). The Korean giant is even planning on streaming the event for New Yorkers at Times Square, and has provided this little teaser to try and build excitement:

So what is the rumour mill stating? Well, the team at TechRadar has pulled together a massive compilation of all the news and rumours of the Galaxy S4 that’s well worth checking out. But to summarise, you can expect a 4.99-inch Full HD screen that lets you scroll through webpages and contact lists with the power of your eyeballs.

Inside the phone, there are rumours of an octo-core processor, backed by 2GB RAM and 32GB of on board storage. While there’s a good chance this will be busted by a quad-core processor, it’s still crazy that it’s even a possibility.

Wireless charging is looking promising, with Samsung also beefing up its NFC offering by creating its own version of Apple’s Passbook app called Samsung Wallet, and reportedly working with Visa to turn the Galaxy S4 into a virtual credit card.

In other rumours, the phone will likely keep its home button, although plastic will still play a roll in the device’s build quality. There’s also talk of an S4 Mini device and a Samsung Smartwatch, similar to the Casio G-Shock Bluetooth watch but designed for closer integration with the Galaxy S4.

Overall, there’s a lot of excitement about the world’s most popular Android handset. With Sony and HTC upping the game with the launch of the Xperia Z and One respectively, Samsung will need to deliver its best possible handset to remain top dog in the smartphone schoolyard.

The first issue of roughly 700 Marvel series are available to download from the Comixology website. Once downloaded, they can be viewed on pretty much any device, from a computer, to an iPad, to an Android device.

This is a brilliant way to discover new comics, and a great way for Marvel to introduce a whole new range of readers to its rich history of comic books.

The only catch is that the website is being crushed under demand at the moment, and getting on to download the comics is harder than saving the city from The Green Goblin.

But stick with it, because you’ll probably find something amazing to read.

Price: $Free
Web: Comixology

Late last year EFTM took Holden’s 4X4 Dual Cab Chassis Colorado LX on a long and somewhat gruelling trek to northwest New South Wales. At the time we concluded that GM’s global ute was a highly commendable workhorse with excellent off road credentials.

On the flip side, when pitted against a highly-rated competition, the Colorado’s weaknesses were exposed.

Holden Colorado 7

Now two months after our week of bush-bashing, we find ourselves spending a much more sedate week in the Colorado 7, Holden’s return to the full-sized seven seater SUV category.

The 10 minute test-drive

Holden Colorado 7

The Colorado 7 is essentially a wagon backed version of the ute, sharing almost all of its architecture.

Our test vehicle was the top of the line LTZ model which is one of two specifications available, the other being the LT.

The basic interior which plagues all Colorado models is again present. Cheap, poorly aligned plastics are abundant. Many sections of the cabin are so flimsy they border on deplorable.

Throwing a Z on the end of LT earns you leather appointed seats which suspiciously look and feel like vinyl. There are also a few extra bits of chrome looking plastic sprinkled around and some average looking door trim highlights.

The automatic climate controls are presented via a round blue LCD control dial whose font style bears no resemblance to that used on the simplistic audio system just above it.

It’s quite a commanding view from behind the leather wrapped wheel. But the lofty perch is relentlessly pounded by the brash 2.8 L power plant which distributes significant levels of diesel clatter straight into the supposed family carrying cabin.

Steering the big seven-seater around town is hardly pleasant. It’s like a never-ending arm wrestle. One of the few changes to the wagon-backed version is the deletion of the rear leaf suspension found in the ute. A coil spring set up has been implemented but seems to have had little impact on handling.

Prepare to bounce, lurch, tilt and rock around corners like never before.

Holden Colorado 7

The Colorado 7 is also slightly longer then the ute, which translates into true 7 seater capability. The third row is the real deal and can accommodate medium sized occupants quite comfortably. There’s also effective roof-mounted air vents with independent controls.

Visually I think the only pleasing angle is from dead front on, with the gaping bold twin sectioned grill looks the goods. But the tray to wagon conversion on the back is hideous – not even the strongest beer goggles will help its appearance.

Under the hood

The 132kW 2.8L Duramax Turbo diesel is a proficient unit. When matched to the six-speed auto (manual is not available), 470Nm is produced at a reasonable 2000rpm. The auto also seems to have half a brain, appropriately shifting down on steep inclines.

Towing ability is excellent at 3000 braked kilograms, although that’s a step down from the class leading 3500kg for the ute equivalent.

EFTM was unable to fully explore the Colorado 7′s offroad capabilities, but after some pretty hefty mud slinging in the donor ute we know with a great deal of certainty the 7 will preform just as admirably.

However this is essentially the biggest problem with the Colorado range. They’re one trick ponies, epically good off road, inadequate on tar.

In terms of bells and whistles, the Colorado 7 features a must have 5-Star ANCAP rating with dual front & full length side (including third row) curtain airbags and ESP with Hill Descent Control.

Holden Colorado 7

Key standard features include “shift on the fly” 4WD, Bluetooth connectivity but with no direct streaming, USB and auxiliary ports, cruise control, rear park assist with reversing camera incorporated into the rear view mirror, multi-function steering wheel controls, 12 volt power outlets up front and rear cargo area, dual glove box, cup holders for every row, cargo blind, 60:40 2nd row split fold tumble seats with 50:50 split fold flat third row seats.

LTZ spec gets you additional bling including 18-inch alloy wheels, LED rear tail lights, halogen projector headlights with manual leveling, chrome fog light surrounds, folding exterior mirrors, 6-way electric adjustable drivers seat, 8-speaker stereo, electronic climate control and chrome interior door handles.

But the really good stuff like satellite navigation, rain sensing wipers and dusk sensing headlights are a no show.

Bragging rights

As a car reviewer you get the chance to hit the roads in models not yet seen or familiar to the motoring public. It’s always interesting to witness the level of reaction each car receives. Some of the major head tuners have been the Hummer H3, Holden Volt and the Chrysler 300C.

The Colorado 7 didn’t turn a single head.

There were no longing stares filled with curiosity, no questions from the neighbours, and no random approaches at service stations.

Nothing.

The 7 lumbered about town completely anonymously. That’s a sad thing for a car-lover, especially for Holden fans.

Holden Colorado 7 – Dash

The hip pocket

The only possible reason for purchasing a Holden Colorado 7 would be price. For such a large and serious off-roading SUV an entry price for the LT of $46,990 is very reasonable. The price creeps up to $50,490 for the LTZ with a 100,000km, 3 year warranty included for both models.

Comparatively, you can expect to fork out closer to $56k for a no frills Toyota GX Prado.

During our time with the Colorado 7 we managed to sip 10.1 litres of diesel per 100km, which involved mostly urban driving.

The lasting impression

The Holden Colorado barely makes a first impression let alone a lasting one. It’s not the kind of car you look forward to driving each day. Regretfully for Holden, it can even be described as a chore.

EFTM rubber stamp

Unfortunately the Colorado 7 just doesn’t cut the mustard. Discerning buyers in the hugely popular SUV market will baulk at the tractor like refinement and lack of creature comforts and quality expected from today’s modern offerings. We love the Colorado as a ute, but the 7 – not so much.

The Colorado 7 – Unfortunately it’s a FAIL for us

TV floorplans being drawn

These drawings are fantastic, the attention to detail is beyond your wildest dreams, making scale floor-plans of TV shows including all the fittings, furniture and accessories.

The complete set are available to view on the artist’s Pintrest page and he’s selling large prints of each one (65x40cm) for around $105.

Hand drawing of the Jerry Seinfeld Apartment from Seinfeld

These would make a great addition to your walls.

The artist Iñaki Aliste Lizarralde describes the drawings as “Handmade drawings inspired by sets of the TV series. Adapted as real apartments in accordance with the distribution, dimensions, proportions and furniture of each series.”

Buy: Etsy
Web: Pintrest

While the AFL was able to offer fans every single game live, it seems the NRL deal wasn’t quite as good for Telstra. Channel 9′s delayed coverage will be simulcast on the app, meaning you can only watch the game on the mobile just as if you would at home,on delay. This will upset many fans, but what they have to remember is that it’s better than nothing!

Up to six matches each week will be streamed live via the app in addition to those broadcast on delay by Channel 9. EFTM has confirmed from several sources the pricing for access will operate on a weekly, monthly or season pass basis.

For $5.49 per week, you’ll be able to access the mobile phone streaming of every game “as it’s being broadcast on TV with up to six games live and two on delay”. If you’re commitment is a bit stronger than weekly you can pay $14.99 for a monthly pass with the same benefits and for the diehards, there’s an annual pass for $89.99.

To be clear, this is the same price for the AFL in 2013, so NRL fans are not getting stitched up. They are just missing out on that lower price AFL fans got in the first year.

Telstra details of the NRL 2013 app and pricing structure

The NRL 2013 app will be available on iPhone and Android, and will stream on both your mobile and WiFi connections. Telstra customers get the added benefit of all streaming being unmetered for them throughout the year.

Each package will be purchased via an “in-app” purchase on the App Store, while the app itself is free.

Video highlights of matches will be available for free to those with the app.

What’s not clear at this stage is how the State of Origin features in this whole arrangement, nor whether tablet devices will be included. Users will be keen to carry those access passes across their devices and it’s unlikely there is an appetite to pay additional fees for the State of Origin, but we’ll wait and see on that one.

If paying for streaming isn’t your thing, you’ve always got the free-to-air coverage on 9, or the comprehensive Fox Sports coverage on pay TV, while on radio Triple M in Sydney and Brisbane have a greatly expanded broadcast plan for 2013 alongside traditional broadcasters 2GB and the ABC.

It’s set to be a big season for broadcasting NRL.

Web: iTunes; Play

Infiniti M35h

Car manufacturers across the world are undertaking a slow but steady march towards alternate fuel solutions. The Infiniti M35h and the technology it deploys is a step in the right direction.

The 10 minute test drive

Infiniti M35h

The Infiniti M35h is a high-end luxury sedan with its target tightly trained on its obvious competitor Lexus and the pricier German marquees. In an already crowded market, brand recognition among Aussies will be low, but to be simplistic Infiniti is to Nissan what Lexus is to Toyota.

Handing over $100K for a car is nothing to be scoffed at, so our expectations were justifiably very high. The Infiniti M35h didn’t disappoint.

On the inside there’s an immediate wow factor. Sumptuous double-stitched leather covers the seats, the dash, steering wheel and door trim. Beautifully authentic wood works its way around the cabin, framing the infotainment system and centre console. Every surface is treated with a high degree of prestige and sophistication befitting a car of this nature.

So yes: many cows and a small forest has helped to set the appropriate theme. But the life of the party really arrives once that keyless start button is pressed. From a standing start the M35h is exceptionally quick. Put aside any Prius inspired ignorance, this sedan will bolt to 100 kph in 5.5 seconds. If I can channel my inner bogan for a second, “disabling traction control will see the rear-wheel drive hybrid sedan ‘drop a set’”. Don’t try that in a Prius, by the way.

Infiniti M35h – Bose noise cancelling system

Lead foot aside, things are decidedly cruisy once you get moving. Life is serenely quite thanks to double glazed glass and a Bose noise cancelling system. It works just like the company’s headphones do, emitting a counter noise to drown out unwanted frequencies.

As a drive, the M35h floats along with little fuss. It’s hardly exhilarating through corners but it suitably cossets occupants without driving like a boat. It’s an impressive ‘limousine-like’ experience.

Ins and outs

The Infiniti’s willingness to hustle from a standing start is thanks to a decent 265kW produced by its combined 3.5-litre V6 and hybrid electric motor. A seven-speed automatic transmission ensures there’s always a cog available to harness the impressive power and typical instant hybrid torque.

Infiniti M35h

But technology is at the very heart and soul of this car.

The most outstanding feature is an array of computer driving aids that all but drive the car for you. Intelligent cruise control uses radar to regulate speed and distance in relation to other traffic. Lane departure wizardry detects and corrects drifting over detectable lane line markings by braking the opposing side wheels. Blind spot monitoring will also intrude if necessary. Distance Control Assistance goes even further by uncannily applying the brakes when approaching a slowing or stopped vehicle in front. It’s possible to travel for long periods without even touching the brake pedal.

There are some issues with this kind of nanny state way of driving. Very few real world drivers adhere to the three second distance gap mantra, very few brake as slowly and safely as the silicon brains determine it’s safe to. With all systems activated driving can be like taking your provisional license test everyday.

There’s an almost comical ‘Eco drive’ mode that coaches exactly how to extract the absolute best fuel economy. The world’s slowest takes offs and uphill acceleration ultimately ensue. Dare to instinctively push harder and you can expect the system to fight back. Having the accelerator pedal prod you back is a little unnerving – it feels like a tennis ball lodged itself behind the pedal.

In other words, we’re not exactly fans of ‘Eco drive’.

Infiniti M35h

Not satisfied with a simple old school automatic dual-climate control system, the Japanese have gone even further with its unique ‘Forest Air” system. Two pleasant forest inspired fragrances are rotated as required to neutralise odours. A sophisticated purification system cleans air and controls humidity. The fan even has the ability to moderate air flow to simulate a natural breeze.

There’s a long list of standard equipment with some of the highlights including satellite navigation with a 7.0 touch screen, Bluetooth, a simply amazing Bose surround sound system with seat-mounted tweet speakers, cooled and heated front seats, sunroof and a nifty rear sunshade.

Infiniti M35h

Having a fair amount of experience when it comes to hybrids (my regular drive is a Toyota Camry Hybrid), I was a fraction disappointed with the Infiniti’s attempt. It works just as well at preserving fuel in crawling traffic and actually comes into play at reasonably higher speeds unlike the Toyota. However the on/off transition from petrol to EV mode can be a little harsh. There’s a notable flutter and vibration as the petrol engine springs back to life. The Toyota system is more refined.

I returned a figure of 8.9L/100km during testing. Infiniti alleges 6.9/100km as an attainable figure. Still, it’s not bad considering it has to shift 1830kg and does so swiftly.

Space for four adults is adequate for medium to long trips, but five would be a stretch. As with most hybrids, the battery robs you of prized boot space, and in the M35h’s case it’s an excessive amount of lost storage space.

Bragging rights

Until recently the Infiniti M35h held the title of world’s fasted production hybrid, though it’s since been eclipsed only by BMW’s ActiveHybrid 3. The difference is marginal but the BMW is also slightly cheaper.

Infiniti M35h

But there’s plenty of petrol guzzling relics with performance reputations that precede them that this little beauty will pass like they were nailed to a post.

I also firmly believe in its flowing lines and long, almost Jaguar-nosed looks. It’s far from offensive on the eye. Plus given there are only 3 dealers at the time of publication (Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane) there’s a fare chance you wont see another version on the road for some time.

The lasting impression

Expect to get plenty of ongoing enjoyment and smug satisfaction from the Infiniti M35h. Its abilities are admirable and will be appreciated even more as time goes on. It’s highly original and one of the best cars I’ve driven. Period.

The hip pocket

Take a deep breath because $99,990 is hefty. It’s even more staggering when you consider you can pick one up for around $60,000 in the USA. But we live in Australia and that’s the card we’ve been dealt. In relative terms, it’s actually keenly priced, undercutting rivals such as the Lexus GS 450h ($111,900) and the aforementioned BWM ActiveHybrid ($122,900)\

The EFTM Rubber Stamp

Have no doubts: This is a superb car with remarkable technology inside. It earns the EFTM Credit rating comfortably.

EFTM Rating: Credit

If you clicked on this story despite the terrible pun then you must be keen on picking up that great fare. Vietnam Airlines, part of the Skyteam Alliance, is offering amazing low fares to London’s Gatwick airport via the amazing Hanoi from Australia’s two biggest cities. Just $1,230.

What’s the catch? There are none really, you just have to purchase your tickets before March 31 and fly during the following dates:

20Jan13-31Jan13
10Feb13-27Mar13
15Apr13-28Jun13
08Jul13-20Sep13
30Sep13-16Nov13

Don’t care for London? No problem, fly to Frankfurt or Paris for even less, from $1,100 in fact.

Never flown Vietnam Airlines? Don’t worry, it’s picked up its game significantly. The planes it flies are very new (you’ll be in a Boeing 777-200 from Sydney) and they even look damn cool. It may not be Singapore Airlines but it’s far from a budget airline.

Web: Vietnam Airlines.

Casio G-Shock with Bluetooth

Casio showed off its Bluetooth watch at CES back in January, and now we’ve had our wrists all over the latest G-Shock.

The first impression from our early look back at CES was impressive. A good solid watch in the true spirit of the G-Shock name, with some simple additional features to enhance the watch for those who rely on their smartphone.

Casio G-Shock Bluetooth connected watch

The GB-6900 model is a true Casio G-Shock in every sense. Tough and durable, the watch looks just like its siblings but with the added benefit of Bluetooth 4.0. The shiny plastic coating can be a bit off-putting to some, but it also serves to differentiate itself and will bring you those questions of “what’s that watch” which most watch lovers don’t mind at all.

Pairing the watch to your iPhone isn’t overly difficult using the G-Shock app, which is now available in the Australian iTunes store. You push and hold the top right hand button on the watch to activate Bluetooth mode, then search for your watch in the app on iPhone.

Once connected you can pair up your Twitter and Facebook accounts, and add an email account. The app itself doesn’t actually read your alerts or messages from the standard iOS Mail app, instead it is grabbing your email independently. This is probably one of the main disappointments with the watch, with many corporate email systems being a bit complex to set up, potentially driving you insane to try and install without an IT professional at your beck and call. If you use a a basic mail network or ISP you shouldn’t have too many issues though.

The second disappointment is that there are no alerts for SMS messages. This combines with the email notification issue to prove that cracking into the iOS ecosystem for developers isn’t as easy as you might hope. Notification numbers and basic contact information would be a great thing for the developers to have access to in order to make this device much more useful.

Never leave home without it

The most notable feature of the Bluetooth G-Shock watch is that you will never leave your phone behind again. The watch detects a lost link with your phone, meaning the watch vibrates and alerts you to turn back and grab the phone. You won’t leave it at a restaurant, your desk or a meeting again, which we almost did a few times while testing.

Should you struggle to find the phone in the house, or in your office, the G-Shock will force an audible tone to be played on the phone allowing you to track it down fast. Admittedly, ‘Find my iPhone’ can do the same thing, but doing so from the G-Shock is as simple as pressing a button.

Another simple but useful feature is ‘time sync’. Your watch will now show the exact same time as your iPhone, which most likely gets its time off the mobile network making it much more accurate than manually setting the time. It also counters any confusion with daylight savings.

If you have your Twitter or Facebook accounts synchronised and receive a message or notification, or an email (through an account you have specifically set up in the app) you’ll get an alert on the watch.

Plenty of people don’t see the benefit of all this. But if you’re like me and have your phone on silent a lot – especially in meetings – the ability to glance at your watch for notifications rather than having your phone on vibrate is wonderfully convenient.

At $299, it’s not a crazy price for a G-Shock watch, but these things will sell out fast. There is a very limited availability in Australia on the first shipment so if you’re interested, get in fast.

Australian stockists:

• City Beach (Nationwide)
• Glue Store (Nationwide)
• Surfstitch (Nationwide)
• Carhartt (Melbourne
• Laced (Brisbane)
• Keysole (Perth)
• Blindside (Melbourne)
• Saintside (Melbourne)

Price: GB6900, $299 (Alternate model: GB5600, $269)
Web: Casio

Ingredients

• 45ml Bacardi Superior Rum
• 120ml Tomato Juice
• 4 Dashes Worcester Sauce
• 2 Dashes Tabasco
• 10ml Lemon Juice
• Pinch Celery Salt
• Dash of Port

Tools:

• Jigger
• Bar Spoon

Method

Build ingredients into a highball glass filled with cubed ice.

Web: Sensology