Sunday, May 31, 2020

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Most of us hate cleaning, the dreaded repetitive chores that seem to be the bane of our existence, but there is an unexpected hero here to save the day – the Dyson V7 Motorhead that is currently discounted by 25%.

Vacuuming with a traditional vacuum cleaner can become quite the bore – dragging out a bulky appliance that has to be lugged around with a sluggish might as you unravel the cord with the least amount of graciousness, grunting to yourself.

Well, grunt no more thanks to the Dyson V7 Motorhead – a divine household appliance that will make vacuuming a breeze. No longer will you dread your weekly (or daily) vacuum as you effortlessly glide around your home, cord free and look back on your handiwork with admiration and a sense of accomplishment.

Thanks to this device's 30-minute battery life, you’ll have plenty of time to zip around your home like the cleaning fairy you are. It has strong suction, too, making it capable of picking up floor nasties of both the indoor and outdoor variety.

The Dyson V7 has multiple levels of suction strength and if placed on 'max' mode, the battery life drops to a mere 6-minutes (so best reserve that power for when it’s really needed).

As a bit of added convenience, the Dyson V7 is modular by design – you can use it as a stick vacuum or remove the wand from the main compartment to turn it into a nifty handheld unit. It’s also bagless, allowing you to empty collected dirt with a single pull of its lever.

Make your home spotless and suction up this great deal through Bing Lee’s eBay store – saving you a massive AU$150 at checkout.



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The end-of-financial-year sale is one of the biggest shopping events in Australia, with a wide range of products discounted quite steeply, including cars, household appliances and, of course consumer electronics.

Shopping during Australia’s end-of-financial-year sales means you’ll be able to get your finances in order before filing your tax paperwork as a lot of the discounted items will be tax deductible. So not only will you save some cash on the purchase, you’ll also be able to pocket some extra savings in the form of your tax returns.

And while lockdown restrictions are slowly being lifted, it’s still a very good idea to shop online. After all, you’ll be able to stay off your feet and shop from the comfort of your own home, and you’ll have more time and energy to trawl through various online storefronts for the best offers. Or, you could let us do the hard work.

TechRadar’s Australian team is on hand to sift the chaff and find the best bargains on electronics over the entire month of June. We’ll list them all right here and keep this page updated with new offers as and when they’re made available. There is a strong possibility that a lot of the EOFY sales will end before June 30, so you will need to be quick to snag a great deal.

Retailers offering EOFY deals

EOFY 2020 deals

EOFY 2020 sale: what and when is it?

Unlike the calendar year, Australia’s end of financial year is June 30. That means, from July 1 to the end of October, individuals and businesses will need to file their tax forms with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). Prior to that retailers will be racing to shift old stock to make way for fresh ones, and they’ll be slashing prices on plenty of items, many of which will be tax deductible.

Australia’s EOFY sales traditionally begin June 1 and end on June 30, although many retailers tend to jump the gun, offering a few tempting morsels to lure shoppers in. However, the best EOFY offers are during the month of June, although not all retailers have month-long sales. Moreover, the offers also change through the month, so you will need to keep checking back to see if whatever you need is being discounted or not.

Australia's EOFY 2020 sale: what to expect

If you’re looking to save some money on electronics during Australia’s annual EOFY sale, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve had our finger on the pulse of tax-time deals for a few years now and can safely predict what you can get for a cheaper price.

So, what kind of tech can you find during EOFY sales Down Under? Plenty. From computers to gaming gear, the best flagship smartphones to personal audio. To get an idea of what to expect in 2020, let's take a look at what was on offer last year.

Laptops and PCs: Computing gear has always been some of the most popular items to purchase during EOFY. Manufacturers like Microsoft, Lenovo, Dell and HP will host their own sales on their sites, but you’ll also be able to grab laptops and desktop PCs from major retailers as well, with average discounts of about 15% to 20%. You’ll even be able to snag bargains on accessories as well, with printers, keyboards, SSDs and external hard drives all going on sale during this time.

Gaming
From Nintendo to Sony and Microsoft – there were plenty of deep discounts on gaming gear last year and we’re expecting to see more of the same again in 2020. The best price we saw on the Switch during EOFY 2019 was AU$379, which isn’t quite as low as it’s gone during other big sales like Black Friday, but it’s still a darn good price. There’ll also be some blockbuster gaming titles available for cheap, if you’d like to expand your gaming library, but keep an eye out for console bundles.

Smartphones and tablets
While there’s usually not a lot of variety when it comes to smartphone discounts, there are always some very intriguing offers to consider during EOFY if you’re looking to upgrade your handset. Last year saw some great discounts on Samsung’s flagships, as well as the Google Pixel 3, so if you’re an Android user, you may be able to score a new phone without having to pay full retail price. 

It’s also a great time to see if you need a tablet as well, as more often than not they too are tax deductible if you use them for work.

Home entertainment and personal audio
There were plenty of TVs, sound bars and speakers on sale during the last couple of EOFY sales, and we don't expect that trend to change any time soon. And with some excellent 4K UHD smart TVs already seeing price drops outside of big sales, we're looking forward to seeing how much more affordable they'll be during the 2020 tax-time sale.

It's not just home entertainment setups that you'll be able to save on but portable Bluetooth speakers and the best wireless headphones as well. The premium audio products retail for about AU$500 a pop, but there's a good chance you'll see them drop well below the AU$400 mark. While discounted prices may not match Black Friday offers, tax-time deals still see a decent chunk of change saved on premium products.

Cameras
The EOFY sales are also a great time for photographers – beginners, pros or hobbyists – to grab the latest gear. Last year saw plenty of cameras go on sale, particularly from Fujifilm and Nikon. In 2018, we saw action cameras also drop in price, so keep your eyes peeled for some excellent bargains on DSLRs, compacts and more. If you’re happy with the camera body you already own but need some accessories, we’re also expecting lenses, tripods, filters, bags and SD cards to see some decent price drops as well.

Smart home devices
These nifty voice-activated products have been flooding the market – from internet-connected lights to smart security systems, and the speakers and displays to control them all. Amazon discounted its Echo range of smart speakers last year and we're quite sure that will happen again, along with the other smart devices the e-commerce giant stocks, such as Philips Hue smart lights. You'll also find plenty of retailers offering discounts on Google's range of smart speakers as well.

Home appliances
If you’re looking to renovate your home, the EOFY sales will help you save plenty on the new appliances you’ll need. You can expect to see bargains on not just Dyson vacuum cleaners, but also fridges, dishwashers, washing machines and plenty more.



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Latest Gadgets News

The prices of the three phones - Redmi Note 8, Redmi 8, Redmi 8A Dual - have been increased by Rs. 500 across all models, and the new rates are reflecting on all e-commerce sites, including Mi.com.

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RedmiBook 13 Ryzen Edition, RedmiBook 14 Ryzen Edition, and RedmiBook 16 Ryzen Edition recently made their debut in China. Now, it seems RedmiBook 13 may soon make its India debut. India will, however, reportedly get the Intel-powered version of the laptop that has been on sale in China for some time.

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Google stands in support of racial equality and all those who search for it, Indian-American CEO of the technology giant Sunder Pichai said on Sunday.

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The best prepared meal delivery services to use for 2020: Home Chef, Freshly, Home Bistro, Gobble and more - CNET

No-fuss, oven-ready meal kits.

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Realme Buds Q, the latest pair of TWS from Realme which was launched in China recently will make its way to India soon. This news was confirmed by Realme India’s CMO himself on Twitter. 

Francis Wang tweeted about the newly launched Air Buds Neo in which he mentioned the Realme Buds Q will be coming to India. Further, he also went ahead and confirmed that the TWS will be priced under Rs 2,000. The Realme Buds Q TWS was unveiled in China a week ago along with Realme X50 Pro Player Edition and six other products. 

Unlike the Realme Buds Air and Buds Air Neo, the Realme Buds Q comes with an in-ear design. In China, the Buds Q is designed by Jose Levy, who is a popular designer. The Buds Q are completely True Wireless earbuds as it lacks a stem design. You also get eartips just like regular earphones. The Buds Q comes in White, Black, and Yellow color options. 

The Buds Q harnesses Bluetooth 5.0 and has a range of about 10 meters. The earbuds come with 119ms low latency. The latency is also similar to the Realme Buds Air TWS. So, gaming with this pair of TWS shouldn’t be an issue. It comes with 10mm drivers. For controls, there is support for touch gestures that can play, pause, and skip tracks.

On a single charge, the Realme Buds Q will last up to 20 hours along with the battery included in the case. With one charge the buds will last up to 4 hours. The case is packed with a 400mAh battery. It weighs around 3.6 grams and the along with the case weighs 35.3 grams. Also, the TWS is IPX4 rated for water and dust resistance. 

The Realme Buds Q is priced at CNY 149 (~Rs 1,600).  Although the TWS is available for CNY 129 (~Rs 1,400) at a special price at the moment in China. Once launched the Realme Buds Q will take on Redmi Airdots S which is also priced under Rs 2,000.



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Nearly 24 hours after launching from Florida, SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule delivered NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley to the International Space Station on Sunday, marking the first US space capsule to do so with a crew since 2011.

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Amazon.com said it was removing certain images after messages using extremely strong racist abuse appeared on some listings on its UK website when users searched for Apple's AirPods and other similar products.

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The best meat delivery services in 2020: Omaha Steaks, Porter Road, Crowd Cow and more - CNET

Explore your options for high-quality beef, pork, chicken and seafood all delivered to your door.

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UFC 250: Nunes vs Spencer -- Start time, full fight card, how to watch or stream online - CNET

For fans of MMA, UFC 250 is a surprisingly stacked card.

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As lockdowns are being replaced by unlock across India, the importance of social distancing as a means to curb contact spread of Covid-19 assumes greater importance. Google has now stepped in with an augmented reality based app that could help maintain safe distance. 

The SODAR is currently available on Android phones. Users can simply open the Chrome browser and go to the webpage to get started. At present users do not need to download anything though it doesn't work on iOS or even on older Android devices. 

The phone starts using the augmented reality of the map around your location and then does a superimposition of a two meter radius circle on the camera's view. So, once you are logged on, you are constantly monitoring the camera on your phone. 

While testing it out, I found the accuracy to be in the acceptable range though one did feel at times that it wasn't exactly two meters that the screen seemed to suggest. Of course, the choice to move away from a person is completely yours as SODAR doesn't give instructions or even blink warning signals in case of violations. 

Does it work better than the social distancing app called 1point5 (get it on Play Store) that the United Nations came up with to achieve the same outcomes? Most definitely as this app requires all users to be connected to Bluetooth, the same as India's own Aarogya Setu app. 

Google's SODAR doesn't require users to install anything nor people around them to carry their smartphones with Bluetooth switched on. The augmented reality uses WebXR to visualise a two-meter radius on the map and sets up a virtual ring on the screen using the camera. Will it consume battery life? Only as much as a camera does.

Does it all make sense?

How useful is this tool likely to be during the next phase of Covid-19 unlocking? Not very, I'm afraid as any person who is concerned about maintaining a safe distance would definitely not need their phone to tell them about the safety zone. That's why eyes are there for, isn't it? 

While the technology used is far better than what existing apps have come up with in the form of Bluetooth beacons, the fact remains that running the camera all the time through a crowded lane isn't exactly going to help users avoid contact. What's more it could prove a recipe for contact with others as the human body isn't exactly geared with equipment that auto-steers us out of harm's way. 

So, this one looks like an intellectual exercise undertaken by "Experiments with Google" that has created interesting and often eye-popping stuff using Chrome though not many of them have passed muster at usability level. 



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Facebook, which seems to be on an app launching spree, has rolled out 'Venue', a new iOS and Android app through which it hopes to "bring passionate fans and expert commentators together to experience live events in a new interactive way."

Facebook's Venue will look to capitalize on the emphasis around live streams that has been spurred by the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Venue is aimed to provide an interactive second-screen experience for live events like Twitter does naturally.

The new app was understandably rolled out for NASCAR races earlier today. NASCAR is among the first major sports to return to events in the US despite lacking that ability to host a live audience. 

Screenshots of Facebook Venue

Launched by Facebook's New Product Experimentation Team, the app isn’t meant to live stream the events it features but instead will serve as a platform where users can openly talk about them as they happen. 

It allows users to engage with content from expert commentators like journalists, analysts, or ex-athletes during an event as updates funnel into the app in real-time in the form of notifications called 'Moments.

Fans are notified whenever a new 'Moment' is created so that they can hop in and out of Venue if they want to. With Venue, fans can stop scrolling or searching to find the exact moment everyone is reacting to, Facebook said.

Live broadcasts still offer the rare opportunity for millions of people to consume content simultaneously. Despite drawing large concurrent viewership, live broadcasts are still a mostly solo viewing experience, Facebook added.

On Twitter, everyone chips in during a live event. On Facebook, the commentators and experts chosen for a given event hosted in Venue will chime in with their takes.

For instance, today's NASCAR's races, social media personality, @nascarcasm, hosted Venue.

Second-screening has become very pivotal for live events, especially sports. A research study from Facebook a few years back said that  about 94% of viewers keep a smartphone on hand while watching live TV. 

With Venue, fans can then split their attention between the ongoing event and their phones. 

Most of the social interaction platforms have been trying to figure out the best case for this, but as of now Twitter seems  to be ahead. 

An early opinion on Venue by a Twitter user was not all that flattering.

Venue is the third app launched by Facebook in under a week. This is after a collaborative music video creation app was launched to take on TikTok as well as another for voice-only group calls.

  • Facebook's new enterprise virtual reality platform is here


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The fun never stops in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. It's a problem - CNET

Commentary: Nintendo's smash hit is good at making you feel relaxed -- and great at keeping you hooked.

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Is there a June rent freeze, and can landlords evict tenants? Laws, late fees and what to do - CNET

Learn about your current rights and find resources for financial relief if you're concerned about being able to pay your rent this month or in the future.

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Heat Domes and Surging Grid Demand Threaten US Power Grids with Blackouts

A new report shows a sharp increase in peak electricity demand, leading to blackout concerns in multiple states. Here's how experts say ...