With so many Telstra customers bragging about their 4G, and the well reported loss of customers in recent years – Vodafone has a mountain to climb to win back customer satisfaction and get people talking about their network.  With that in mind you might have expected they would have rushed to the 4G party as soon as possible.

Spectrum availability wasn’t the problem, in fact – if you ask Vodafone, they’ll tell you they hold some of the most valuable spectrum of all the major carriers – more on that later.

But no, according to Vodafone they’ve been focussing on the continued upgrade of their 3G network, and roll out of their 3G+ network to ensure they had the coverage people expect, and the fallback network from 4G was at least enough to keep customers happy.

For the last week or so I’ve been using the Vodafone 4G network to put it through its paces – it’s pretty impressive.

During my tests I’ve used a Sony Xperia Z handset with a Vodafone supplied SIM on the 4G network, while at the same time I ported my own number to Vodafone to get an absolute real-life experience – firstly using the HTC ONE then with the iPhone 5.

I’ve been on the Vodafone network for some time – using MVNO network Red Bull Mobile, so I’m no stranger to the reception and speed issues of the Vodafone network over the years.  There’s no doubt in my mind it’s improved – I’m just unlucky to own a house in a shocking dead-spot, and have a desk at work that provides almost no coverage. In both cases walking just a few meters gets me all the reception I need.

First and foremost what I’ve noticed is the seamless transition from 3G network to 4G and back is as any user would expect.  I live in the northern suburbs of Sydney, and work on the lower north shore of Sydney.

During my trials I visited the Sydney CBD as well as my regular daily commute from Hornsby to Artarmon. Because I was looking so much at my phone’s reception, I reckon I can basically pin-point almost all the Vodafone 4G towers – I did feel like I was getting 1 or 2 “bars” of coverage more than I was full coverage and there is no doubt that the speeds I got were directly related to the coverage I was getting – or distance from transmitter.

Staggeringly, I was able to get a speed-test in excess of 100Mbps – not something I had expected in a real-world test.

Now at this stage I can hear plenty of people saying “yes, but there is no-one on the network” – well, let me tell you I did these very same tests on the Telstra network some time ago when it first launched, and as this tweet shows – I was getting excited about 30+Mbps speeds, and can remember seeing just a few at 50Mbps.

By comparison, with my trials across three phones and across 166 different speed tests I got an average of 53Mbps downloads and 22Mbps uploads.

Of those 166 tests, 66 of them achieved download speeds above 60Mbps. Fifty of them were below 40Mbps. That’s a pretty good strike rate when connected to 4G.

Overall, it’s hard not to be impressed by the speeds being achieved on the Vodafone 4G network.

One reason for the staggering speeds being offered by Vodafone is the unique network spectrum they have. Using two 20MHz slices of spectrum, Vodafone essentially have space for faster speeds and more users – thinking of it like a traditional highway, it’s great construction with basically double the lanes of the other networks.

Given the issues in recent years capacity issues are unlikely to slow the network down any time soon, but even when the customer rate returns to growth for Vodafone (assuming it does) there is plenty of space for everyone.

Overall, I think Vodafone still have a lot of work to do to grow their network. More towers, continued 3G improvement across the network is crucial for customer retention.

If anything, the “30 day guarantee” Vodafone recently started offering might just be the perfect thing for new users right now. Port your number, check out the 4G coverage in your regular areas and if it works for you – stick to it, if not, switch back!

Vodafone is transitioning existing customers as of this week, with new customers being welcomed to the network from July. So if you’re a long suffering Vodafone customer – they are repaying your loyalty with early access to jump on the phone and get switched over now if you have a 4G capable device.

For my mind, I wish I lived at the Caltex service station on the Pacific Highway northbound near Mowbray Road Chatswood – because that’s where I got that 100Mbps+ speed and was able to get regular 80Mbps+ speeds. As I say, if you’re in the right spot, this network is blisteringly fast. Easily the fastest 4G network in Australia – if not the world.

Available this week, if you buy one of the many consumer electronics products from Millennius you’ll have the option to pay by Bitcoin – very similar to how you might see a Paypal link or similar as opposed to whacking in your credit card details.

Millennius – now accepting Bitcoin

We’re not too sure how popular this will be, in fact we doubt there will be many users – certainly in the coming months, however – it is innovation and creativity which should be rewarded, so perhaps this will pay off for Millennius founder Pierre Boutros in good time.

Millennius also claim to accept rival electronic currency Litecoins – but the method of payment is to email your order, which seems a fair bit antiquated for my liking.

Web: Millennius

Black Sabbath – 13 – on iTunes

Due for release later this month “13″ brings together Ozzy Osborne, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler for something fans have literally been waiting decades for.

Black Sabbath – 13

Pre-orders for the album are available online and at iTunes right now, and as always with iTunes you can click that little “play” button and sample some of the song – but as an exclusive on iTunes you can also stream the entire 53 minutes and 34 seconds right to your computer.

It’s a simple idea that should generate some cracking previews and pre-sales for the band.

Don’t get over excited, it is literally a start to finish stream – you can’t skip tracks or choose tracks – but for fans I’m not sure that’s going to be an issue.

Check it out on your Computer now at iTunes:

A helmet mounted camera was fitted to Valtteri Bottas for a few laps around the Monaco circuit. This is a very different view because the normal “on board” cameras are fixed and don’t give you the full sensation of movement or even speed.

Well worth a watch for F1 fans:

Harvey Norman Balgowlah – Apple Computer Display

Many would argue it’s not exactly news that Harvey Norman is selling Apple computers, however when you consider the retail power of a national chain like Harvey Norman you might just see what a big deal it is.  Some may also not realise that until now you couldn’t get a Mac computer at Harvey Norman stores – all that is about to change.  EFTM has the details.

Harvey Norman on line “store stock” finder confirms the in-store availability

Harvey Norman Balgowlah – Apple Computer Display

There are more than 180 Harvey Norman stores in Australia and with something like $6billion in revenue across the Harvey Norman business (including Domayne etc) you’re crazy if you think you can ignore the retail power of the Harvey Norman group. This is reason it’s interesting that until now you could only purchase a MacBook or iMac computer at a “Harvey Norman computer store” inside one of the few Domayne stores scattered around Australia.  With just 16 Domayne stores there isn’t a big footprint to the Apple computer sales potential within the Harvey Norman group.

Last week however all that changed – Harvey Norman Balgowlah installed a large Apple retail display stand as an expansion of the iPad display that almost all Harvey Norman stores already have.  On one side the iPad range which has been in stores for some time – on the other side of the display are iMacs, MacBook Air and MacBook pro computers.

EFTM understands the Balgowlah installation is the first of around 30 stores that will roll out this financial year before June 30.

In Australia the largest seller of Mac computers is JB Hi-Fi, so with the bricks and mortar retail war continuing at fever pitch it is no wonder Gerry Harvey has sent his buying team in to do a retail deal with Apple which will likely extend to a large number of those 180+ Harvey Norman stores.

Harvey Norman Balgowlah – Apple Computer Stock

The walk-in and walk-out with what you want convenience of traditional retail stores is hard to argue with, and while Apple may have their many retail stores in key metro areas, it’s in the Suburbs where stores like Harvey Norman are the go-to place for many big retail purchases.  This new deal to stock Apple computers in Harvey Norman stores will have a positive impact on Apple sales in Australia, and will likely fuel the retail war with JB Hi-Fi as Gerry Harvey looks to take the title of Australia’s biggest retailer of Apple computers in the years ahead.

Recent years have been somewhat predictable, a new iPad early in the year and an iPhone mid to late in the year.  In 2013 however we’ve heard next to nothing from Apple on the new device front, not since the end of January when a subtle press release announced the larger capacity 128 Gb iPad.  So what can we expect?

iPhone

There will be another iPhone in 2013, that we know for sure.  It’s highly unlikely it will be a radical change from the iPhone 5. Smart money is on an iPhone “5S” which will follow a similar form factor to the current iPhone 5, but perhaps they can squeeze the screen closer to the edges for a little more size, and as always pack it with some additional power under the hood.

The word of a low-cost iPhone has been around for years.  I think this first started when the iPhone 4 was coming – what we got was the iPhone 3GS staying on sale, and ever since the older iPhones have stayed available as the “low cost” option.  Perhaps the cost of manufacturing the iPhone 4 and 4S is behind the current thought that Apple will in fact release a lower-cost iPhone in 2013.  Some suggest that will come in the same form-factor as the iPhone 5 – just with more plastic less refined metal and top class quality.  Who knows – The iPhone 4S is still a top phone in my view, so there is no urgent need to find a replacement just yet.

When: Expect an announcement in August, with availability late-August or September

iPad

The iPad mini is still fresh and new, the design is still solid by market comparisons but it lacks just one thing – the “retina” display that Apple gives so much hype.  I’d suggest that in 2013 we’ll see an iPad mini with Retina hit the stores.

If you’re still looking at the larger 9.7 inch screen, the iPad (4th Generation) now comes in 16-32-64 and 128 Gb sizes, but the design is aging. My iPad 2 from several years ago looks pretty much identical to the most recent version – so in 2013 expect Apple to give it a shake up.  Smaller curves on the side like the iPad mini, a thinner form and most importantly an overall smaller set of dimensions.  They’ll achieve this by taking design queues from the iPad mini.  The long edges of the device will be narrowed around the outside of then screen – this could easily knock 2cm off the overall width of the device, while still maintaining the same screen size.

When: Expect this on in October, available right away in time for Christmas

iOS 7

Apple’s World-Wide Developers conference is about to take place in San Francisco.  This is where developers get the low down on what’s to come, they get great help and support from Apple on development plans for apps on both iOS and Mac OS.

It is now traditional to hear about the latest mobile operating system at the WWDC and this year might just be the most anticipated for some time. Design guru Sir Jony Ive who brought the world almost all the iconic Apple device designs has been put in charge of the user experience across Apple devices. This means no feature of iOS gets launched without his OK.

iOS is most likely the biggest area where Apple currently lags behind in the mobile marketplace.  iOS is a set of icons sitting alone or nested together in folders.  That’s it – nothing more.

Turn your eyes to Android and you have icons that function the same way, paired with widgets that give you live information or updates, you have apps like Facebook Messenger or Viber which can interact natively with the operating system to give you alerts or messages in a fluid way, and for me as simple as it sounds – you can create “Settings” shortcuts as a touch button on your home screen for easy access to things like airplane mode, brightness settings, WiFi and Bluetooth toggles and more.  These things are powerful, and really do add to the overall user experience.

In a world where kids live in the Facebook “inbox” a smooth “chat heads” integration could prove to be the reason many switch to Android. While others who suffer regular battery woes might be attracted by the simplicity of the settings toggle switches.

Whatever the case, Jony Ive cannot allow iOS 7 just to have a new look.  It must have new functions, features and it must revolutionise the operating system. His biggest challenge?  Making sure battery life isn’t impacted – that’s the first thing people notice!

When: June 10-14

Nissan Pulsar Ti

Remember when Nissan Pulsar’s plagued our roads like mosquitoes in the tropics? In particular the famous SSS hatch was a huge hit with red P platers in the late 90’s. The accompanying repulsive after-market exhaust was a prerequisite. Then suddenly one day Nissan produced the motoring equivalent of Mortein and eradicated them in one foul sweep of Louis The Fly’s best. In 2013 – the Pulsar is back.

The Pulsar as a vehicle didn’t disappear – just the name. For reasons known only to Nissan it was replaced by the Tiida. The what?

Well the famous nameplate has once again arrived on our shores, with Nissan hoping it will revive sales left decimated by the blight that was the peculiar looking Tiida.

The 10 minute test-drive

EFTM was recently granted permission to take the flagship 2013 Nissan Pulsar sedan Ti for a week’s leave from their Homebush, NSW headquarters.

Nissan Pulsar Ti

Immediately I was struck by its size, both inside and out. Its dimensions are not far off a Camry. There’s ample leg room up front, out back it’s almost Commodore or Falcon levels of space.

The Ti model is handsomely equipped, with goodies like leather seats, sat-nav, xenon headlamps and a sunroof. It’s a relatively plush considering it is after all a Pulsar.

Hit the road and you will immediately notice the incredibly light steering. It’s easy to park and manoeuvre around at lower speeds. However on the open road I found the ultra light steering tune and floaty ride a fraction unnerving. I’d be reluctant to partake in an evasive piece of driving at speed. However it does corner quite well, with an adequately flat stance and decent grip levels.

Nissan Pulsar Ti

Noise suppression is excellent on most quality stretches of road. However back roads and speed humps intrude more than they should into the cabin.

The Ti model comes equipped with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) transmission, which extracts the absolute most from a surprisingly modest 1.8-litre 96kW four-cylinder unit. The unlimited spread of gear ratios works well albeit with a droning slipping clutch type feel under the pedal.

In’s and out’s

The 1.8-litre four-cylinder with its 96kW of power and 174Nm of torque is hardly the Pulsars most attractive asset. Functionality seems to have been at the forefront of Nissan’s approach. It’s all about the space wrapped in an attractive design. Boot space is more than generous and a ski port hole is available. But there are no split-fold rear seats.

Nissan Pulsar Ti

Interior wise it’s no match for Mazda, VW or even Hyundai. Plastics boarder on disappointing and other design elements are simply bland. It’s far from an atrocity, but others do it better.

Thankfully the tested Ti model is heavy on desirables, dual-zone air-conditioning, leather on the seats and other trim; auto xenon headlamps with washers, tinted rear windows, an adequate satellite navigation system and push start smart key wizardry. 17- Inch alloy wheels, sunroof and rear spoiler complete the picture.

A full suite of safety systems including 6 air bags comes as standard across the range.

Bragging rights

Nissan Pulsar Ti

Traditionally the most desirable Pulsar has been the hatch model, in particular the SSS variant. We can expect those via boat from Thailand later this year.

Perhaps brag away once the hatch hits town?

The lasting impression

It’s a comfortable runabout that also could double as a relaxed long distance tourer if required. I doubt you’ll be left too disappointed with your investment, unless you borrow a mate’s Mazda 3 or Hyundai Elantra for a weekend.

The hip pocket

The Pulsar sedan range is divided into three levels. ST, ST-L and Ti.

The ST starts at $19,990; $23,650 gets you the ST-L while the Ti hits $28,990.

Capped priced serving runs for a lengthy 6 years, expect an average of $300 for each six monthly service.

As usual its fuel burning credentials didn’t quite match the claimed 6.7 litres per 100 kilometres, I in fact hit 10. But that’s just me.

EFTM rubber stamp

There’s nothing blatantly wrong with the new Pulsar, although to extract decent punch from the underwhelming power plant you really need to invest in the pricier CVT unit.

Nissan Pulsar – earns the PASS stamp from EFTM

It earns the EFTM pass stamp.

Origami Stroller

At CES earlier this year something took my eye which I’ve not yet reported.  It probably only took my eye because I’m a father of three and prams are an important purchase for all parents.  So what could a pram be doing at the largest Technology show in the world?  Simple – it was tech packed and geek baby heaven.

Origami Stroller

The “Origami” is made by American brand 4moms but it’s taken 5 months for any Australian availability to be confirmed.  So the time is right to show you this amazing piece of kit.

This pram has headlights.  Yep – daytime running lights like the fanciest of new cars make you and your baby more visible at all times, while path lights turn on automatically in low-light conditions.  Up on the handles you’ll find an LCD dashboard showing you the temperature as well as trip and lifetime odometer – so you’ll know how far you’ve gone each and every trip.

But those are just added benefits, the real party trick of the Origami is the self-folding.  Push or twist one button and the Origami folds itself down.  When folded – push the same button and up it comes.  Something you can only understand with a video perhaps

New parents rejoice – this little beauty will be available from July here in Australia thanks to distribution from CNP Brands.

Retailers are not yet confirmed but the price is – $1499.95 – yep, you read that right.

To put that in perspective you’re looking at $1559 as an RRP for the bugaboo Cameleon2 (if you don’t know don’t ask) so this isn’t actually an extraordinary price.

And to top it all off – worried about how those lights and self-folding mechanisms will work if the battery runs flat? Worry no more – the Origami is self-charging, so every step you take every turn of the wheels is charging the batteries for you. Brilliant!

If all of that isn’t enough – you can plug in your USB cable and charge your phone too!

Price: $1499.95
Web: CNP Brands (1300 667 137)

The Edifice range from Casio are a cut above the super popular G-Shock range, they offer a great style as well as function.  I got my hands on the ERA-200 (DB-1AVER model) which claims to have “twin sensor technology”.

It’s these little intricacies you need to look out for when buying a watch.  Yep, they all tell the time, and most tell you the date also.  The ERA-200DB has a few little tricks up its sleeve.

Firstly you’ll get an easy time adjustment in 48 cities around the world – simply press a couple of buttons, scroll through to find the city you are in and press again and witness the hands of the watch spin around to the right tim.

Next up – those “twin sensors”.  One is a compass, so press the compass button and your “seconds” needle becomes your north pointer. Plus a small graphical display will also store bearing readings for later use.

Finally, the second sensor is temperature. Pretty much does what it says on the box – press the button and you get the temperature on the small digital display.

Yep it’s got tachymeter measures on the inner bezel and 1/100th second chronograph so if it takes your fancy there is the ability to compute speed based on time travel and distance – but seriously, who does that?

The ERA-200 comes in three versions – the B-1AVER which has a synthetic resin band, and red accents on the watch face.  The D-1AVER which has a solid stainless steel band and blue accents on the face, and finally as tested the ERA-200DB-1AVER which also has the stainless steel band with red accents on the face.

All the features are just great things to tell the person your gifting it to – or, if you’re like me, ways to justify it to your wife when you bring it home.

Overall its a solid watch, great look, the black colour dominates the face contrasting the stainless steel band and it is as always great value from Casio.

Web: Casio
Price: $499

Epson Moverio BT-100

There is little doubt that the world of wearable technology is fast approaching a reality.  With watches getting smarter, fitness products at every turn and the much hyped “Google Glass” coming to a geek near you, there is no stopping this radical shift in the way we use technology. Epson have a product called the  Moverio BT-100 that shows just what might be possible.

Wearing the Epson Moverio BT-100′s – Yep, I know I look silly

Google Glass is dominating the headlines when it comes to wearing something that allows you to “see” your messages, augmented reality and much more – but Epson have had the Moverio BT-100 for over a year now in the market, and as a first generation product it is very much a public “proof of concept”

These are huge, bulky – dare I say ugly glasses which have a clear lens across the front allowing you see the world as you normally would, however the lens is around 8mm thick and embedded within it is some projection trickery from the folks at Epson. You literally have what is most recognisable as a mobile phone screen super-imposed in your field of view.

Hanging behind your head from the ends of the glasses is a cable attached to what is for all that it’s worth an Android mobile phone without a SIM card or screen – the screen is in your glasses.

The small controller unit runs Android 2.2 and has on the front a touchpad and four axis key for navigation.

Epson Moverio BT-100

Using android with a touchpad that is not the screen is complex to get your head around – difficult to say the least.

For $749 you’d have to really know what you wanted before shelling out the cash direct to Epson – these are not available in any retailer in Australia. That itself proves the limited concept that this is.  So – what’s it all about?

This is generation one.  What matters more is what developers can come up with as ideas, and what Epson engineers can do to miniaturise this whole setup.

Epson Moverio BT-100 – Lenses

Already there are kickstarter ideas to add cameras and augmented reality to this technology and Epson say there are plenty of keen users coming up with ideas for this first and future generations of the concept.

For me, they were a fun gimmick.  I was able to watch YouTube clips on the lounge while the kids played games or did craft – with headphones in they were not distracted by my videos – yet all the while I could see them clearly through my glasses.  That’s about the only thing I could see myself doing.

Epson Moverio BT-100 – With blockout cover on

I also loaded webpages while watching TV – talk about second screen! But the lack of a keyboard or optional input meant the trackpad typing was a long and boring chore.

The final kick in the teeth for this device is the lack of the Android Market or Google Play – so you’re left with a browser and photo/movie browsing app and not much more.

I was able to install the Amazon App marketplace but couldn’t get any apps to install. Android 2.2 is just too old to get any decent app support.

So what’s it all mean for the future of this technology?

Well – how exciting this is! Bring the size down, improve the interface and you’ve got something great to add value to what you’re doing.  With a camera on top you can see gesture control and augmented reality taking huge steps forward.

Epson Moverio BT-100 – Screen projection

But – you’ll always be the weirdo talking to himself or zoned out of the conversation going on around you.

Epson are open about their excitement around version 2 of the Moverio, and frankly they are perfectly placed to take advantage of the continuing hype that Google is creating around their Glass product so it’s going to be an interesting couple of years ahead in the world of wearable technology.

Top marks to Epson for developing in this space, but save yourself the money until version 2 hits town.

Web: Epson Australia
Price: $749

Honda Odyssey

Choosing a new family car is nowhere near as easy as you might think.  Five seats, Seven seats, child seats, anchor points these are all important things to consider, not just the fuel economy and look of the car.  Before buying my own new family car a few years ago the Honda Odyssey was high up on the short list and a family trip away in a Honda Odyssey confirmed for me why there are so many of these things on the road – it’s a great family car.

Honda Odyssey interior

When I bought my Holden Berlina Sportswagon we had two kids, one in a “booster” seat the other in a “baby” seat.  So space wasn’t a huge concern in terms of seats – we were looking more at overall space and configuration.  When child number three came along shortly there-after I was glad the Commodore platform could fit three seats side by side in the back seat.  When I decided to road-test the Odyssey with the whole family on board I didn’t expect there would be a problem because this is a big seven seater – However that doesn’t mean you can put your child restraints in any configuration.

With anchor points for the third row seats two kids could be way back there, however with anchor points for the second row positioned on the roof at the very back of the car the use of the third row is ruled out immediately.  Add to that the problem that with the third row in use the luggage space was minimal and you’re left with three child restraints in the second row all strapped to the roof at the back and the third row seats folded down to give you a station wagon!

The 10 minute test-drive

In station wagon configuration I don’t feel like we had the same space available to us in the Commodore, however the Odyssey has some nifty storage options because of its third row of seats like a sunken storage area behind those seats and some smaller compartments on the sides.  Porta-cot and luggage stored we were safely strapped in and ready to roll.

Sitting in the driver’s seat you feel a long way from the windscreen thanks to the deep dash and rather non-standard dashboard layout.  With arm-rests on the front driver and passenger seats there is a laid back feeling to the drive.

Foot operated park-brake and dash-mounted gear-stick leave an open space from driver to passenger while the center console between is collapsible to make the seats sit even more independently of the entire dash and console setup – the purpose of either is questionable.

Honda Odyssey

On the road it’s a smooth drive, you don’t get the feeling of size from the vehicle and the gear changes are smooth and the engine quiet.  There is a level of ease about the whole driving experience.

Taking the Odyssey out from the dealer for a few kilometers is all you need to get the true sense of this car.  I drive it over 1500km’s and never questioned those initial thoughts from the first moment out of the driveway – that’s a good thing to get from a family investment.

Nope, it’s not a sports car, far from it, this is not the car to challenge your mates at the lights – even if they’re in a seven-seater of their own. For example it doesn’t touch the powerful and refined Mazda CX 9 EFTM recently experienced on a lengthy drive to Macksville, NSW. But complaining about performance is missing the point. The Odyssey is built to a purpose and will do exactly what you require from a vehicle of this nature.

In’s and out’s

Honda Odyssey

As mentioned earlier, the seven seats are there for the taking – if you don’t need child-restraints or luggage space.  Even the rear child restraint anchor points are at the rear of the “boot” space not at the back of the seats so by putting your child restraints back there you’re compromising what little luggage space you had.  The second row seats are adjustable forward and back to allocate leg room as you choose between the second and third row passengers which is handy if you’re putting older kids or adults in that back row.

The low and sleek approach to the seven-seater design is its major point of difference to a traditional SUV. Is it a van? Is it an SUV? Is it a station wagon? Honda have basically managed to incorporate features of all three.

Under the bonnet is a 2.4 cylinder 132kW / 218 Nm paired with a 5 speed auto. An extra cog is sadly missing and is a pretty ordinary omission in light of the competition.

Potential buyers may also seriously consider Toyota’s Tarago, sliding door access is a huge plus for large tribes.

Certainly with the potential configuration options you’re getting good bang for your buck, but with the restrictions on child restraints you need to be certain about what you are going to want before shelling out the cash.

Bragging rights

“Can you pick my son up from school, I’m running late” – it’s a common call among parents of school aged kids – so with that extra row of seats you will become the supermum or superdad with your generous offers of rides.  However, you may also get sick of those calls after a while – so be careful!

The lasting impression

Sure it’s not amazing to look at from all angles, but there are some good angles too, you’ll feel like you’ve got something different to the rest with your sit back and relax style front seats with center arm-rests and the ease of drive will impress you.

The hip pocket

At $37,000 or there about, it’s a low-cost seven-seater no matter how you look at it, plus the overall fuel economy (which for me was around 8.l4/100k after 1500k’s on the road) is better than most SUV’s by far.

EFTM rubber stamp

The Honda Odyssey earns a PASS stamp from EFTM

The Odyssey is a great option for families in the market for a people mover or those few extra seats. For the younger family though it’s a bit deceptive so be wary about the age and requirements of those up to seven passengers before you commit.  With that as the main gripe I have, the Odyssey is a PASS from EFTM.

Dash Wallet

If you’re like me you’ve probably had a few wallets over the years but the difference between them is nothing more than the brand or the location of the spot you put the photo of your family.  So when someone takes the chance to “reinvent the wheel” or in this case the wallet you’ll find it hard to adjust to but it will change your view of wallets into the future.

So when you decide to re-invent a product so well used and so common – what do you do?  You use fabric.  The DASH Wallet uses an elastic fabric sewn together to create three simple compartments for you to put cards and cash.

Dash Wallet with 9 cards in it – compared to an Empty traditional Wallet

The primary “card slot” also has an opening on the outside to allow you to thumb push your card out and swipe the card without even fully removing it from your wallet.

Switch the Dash Wallet around and you can put a few other cards in the opposite side, while there is a third “pocket” for you to put some folded up cash notes.

Dash Wallet

I’ve got 4 eftpos or credit cards in the main card slot, and another five cards (licence, medicare, etc) in the secondary card pocket.  The thickness of the overall unit is little more than the cards alone.  That’s what makes this so cool.

In your pocket it’s almost hard to realise it’s there.  Many times I had to double-check I even had my wallet on me.

This has revolutionised the way I use my cards and it’s certainly a whole stack more comfortable to have in my back pocket.

After a month of use, the elastic fabric has found its stretch, so I’ve found my cards more easily flicking out of the Dash Wallet, but that’s not all for the best – it also makes them a bit flimsy.  Interestingly, it seems Dash have taken that feedback on board and will have a second version of the Dash Wallet available this year which will be the same in concept, but made from leather.

Dash Wallet with 9 Cards in it compared to an AA Battery

Overall, for $22 this is a bargain, and if your wallet is full to overflowing – take the chance to downsize and make your back pocket all the more comfortable.

Web: Dash Wallets
Price: $22 (give or take the exchange rate)

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.

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