It's been a long time coming but the Apple Watch's irregular heart rhythm notifications have finally been approved for use Down Under by Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), as first reported by EFTM.
This feature allows a user's heart rate to be monitored in the background and a push notification sent automatically when the Apple Watch detects an irregular heart beat. It's an important health-monitoring feature that could help an estimated 475,000 Australians suffering from atrial fibrillation (Afib) in preventing a heart attack or stroke.
Every Apple Watch model is capable of keeping tabs on your heart rate and sending these newly-approved irregular rhythm notifications, so even Aussie owners of the earliest models can make use of this feature.
With that said, the popular ECG (electrocardiogram) sensor and corresponding app are only available from the Apple Watch 4 and newer models, and are yet to be approved for use in Australia. The ECG app is still awaiting the green light from the TGA (an organisation run by the government's Department of Health), but this latest approval gets us one step closer to in-depth heart monitoring for Apple Watch users.
There's no clear indication as to why this approval process has taken so long. Speaking to Gizmodo in 2020, the TGA said Apple hadn't submitted any devices or the accompanying paperwork for approval.
There's also no precise timeline from either Apple or the TGA on when the ECG app will be available for use Down Under. The TGA is currently overhauling its medical device software regulations for wearable manufacturers that will "commence on 25 February 2021 for new applications for inclusion in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG)" .
So, at the very least, we'll need to wait till the end of the month for the Apple Watch's ECG app to become available for use in Australia.
In the meantime, though, Withings beat every other major brand to the punch, getting clinical approval for its ScanWatch in November 2020 – the only TGA-approved ECG-enabled wearable available in Australia.
The world's most popular CMS continues to grow and new data from W3Techs has revealed that 40 percent of the web or two out of every five websites now use WordPress.
While there are plenty of WordPress alternatives including Shopify and Squarespace, WordPress is still in a league of its own.
This is because in addition to the sites powered by WordPress, an ecosystem has been built up around the CMS which includes more than 58,000 WordPress plugins and more than 8,000 WordPress themes.
At the same time though, many companies and organizations make a living creating WordPress sites or helping users do so. These include both WordPress hosting and managed WordPress hosting providers like Bluehost, Dreamhost and even the company behind WordPress, Automattic. However, the biggest one is still WP Engine which is known for its WordPress expertise.
Growing market share
To come up with its latest statistics on WordPress usage, W3Techs used data from the Alexa top 10 million websites as well as Tranco's top one million list to avoid counting parked domains, spam sites and those with little to no content.
According to the data, WordPress has grown from being used on over 10m sites in 2011 to 40m sites today. It also controls 64.3 percent of the CMS market.
Of the sites that use WordPress, the .blog top level domain has the highest market share at 92.2 percent followed by the .news domain at 87.1 percent. The .mil top level domain on the other hand has the lowest WordPress usage as the military prefers to use DotNetNuke instead.
When it came to the countries with the highest WordPress usage, South Africa leads the way followed by Iran, Israel and Spain. China, South Korea and Russia though are the countries with the lowest WordPress usage.
One of the biggest drivers of WordPress' recent growth is likely due to the fact that many consumers and businesses created new websites during the pandemic.
Pei Yu or Carl Pei, as he is popularly known outside China, left OnePlus almost a year back. Since then he's constantly been making news - initially doing nothing and later announcing Nothing as his new company.
The company has already raised $22 million in investment out of which $15 million came from Google Ventures. Interestingly all he has revealed till now is that after his amicable departure from the Chinese smartphone brand OnePlus, he will train his focus on audio products, primarily. Though details have been murky till now.
In a bid to keep this curiosity around Nothing, a trait that we can relate to from his OnePlus days, now Pei has provided a few hints around the company’s plans. In an interview with Bloomberg, Pei said that the company plans to start with simpler products like wireless earbuds.
Affordable audio accessories and connected devices
The London-based startup has bigger plans with Pei stating that “We’re building an ecosystem of smart devices.” He further added, “We’re going to have multiple products throughout the year, not just audio products, and eventually we want to build it so these devices talk to each other.”
Interestingly, Google is very keen on creating an ecosystem of connected smart home devices. It already has a range of such devices that help automate your daily routine. These smart devices form a major share of Google’s hardware business that has not seen much success with the Pixel branded phones.
On the other hand, with True Wireless earbuds as its first product, Nothing may just be playing it safe at this early stage. The market of these audio accessories appears to have grown multifold especially after the pandemic brought the world to a halt. The new normal that includes remote work, remote education and remote entertainment has been the reason behind almost every tech brand we know is trying its hands in these fast-selling tech gadgets.
The OnePlus connection?
OnePlus, the company that Pei founded, is one such company that announced similar products and has been betting big on them. Though Pei had earlier in a candid discussion with The Verge said that “Nothing won't just re-label somebody else's products.” He also added, “There's a reason why a lot of products on the market look quite similar. It's because they share a lot of the same components and the same building blocks”.
These could well be perceived as remarks about his ex-employers, though there is also a parallel perception that Carl Pei could continue the OnePlus connection. And the latest reports of him going after the high-demand hearing accessories could well reinforce this thought.
Of course, the one thing we know for sure is that Carl Pei has a knack of creating the curiosity around products and then revealing things in a manner that keeps the interest levels high over a long period. So, watch this space as Nothing unveils.
Tianwen-1 is set to arrive at Mars on Wednesday. The spacecraft contains an orbiter, lander and rover -- and could make China just the third nation to reach the surface of Mars.
A new report shows off pictures of the next version of Android. It looks like Google is taking some cues from Apple and Samsung for its next-generation mobile operating system.
Here in our cheap headphone deals roundup, we’ll help you find an affordable set of headphones that still sound great, feel comfortable and come with up-to-date features such as Bluetooth and noise-cancellation.
While super cheap headphones may be tempting, it’s worth remembering that they are inexpensive for a reason. But as you’ll see below, getting your hands on a decent pair of headphones doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg.
To save you the time and effort, we’ve put together this dedicated guide to the best bargains on great-sounding headphones. Here you’ll find a variety of options with everything from in-ear buds to noise-cancelling cans – so check out our buying guide below to find the best headphones deals in Australia.
Find great bargains and compare Australian prices on the latest tech atGetprice.
The best headphone deals and prices
(Image credit: JBL)
JBL Tune 750BTNC
Noise-cancelling headphones at an affordable price
JBL is known for offering good quality headphones at an affordable price point, and the features offered by the JBL Tune 750BTNC make them a real bargain.
These Bluetooth headphones have excellent noise cancellation and good sound quality packaged into a sturdy set of cans. They have an official price tag of AU$229.95, but we’ve frequently seen them on sale for well under AU$200, so they’re often one of the best headphone deals around.
They do have some minor flaws though – they don't have the latest Bluetooth 5 connectivity, so they fall short of having the same wireless range as more premium headphones. They’re lacking waterproofing as well, but otherwise, they get a genuine recommendation for us.
Acoustic design: Closed | Weight: N/A | Frequency response: 20Hz-20kHz | Drivers: 6mm | Connectivity: Bluetooth | Battery life (onboard): 10 hours | Battery life (charging case): 70 hours
Incredible value for money
Audiophile-pleasing sound
Above average battery life
Design is so-so
You might not have heard of Lypertek yet, but expect to hear more from the up-and-coming audio brand soon. We gave Lypertek’s Tevi true wireless earbuds a solid five stars in our review, which is impressive given their low price.
Considering these are a budget set of earbuds, they tick all the right boxes. They boast surprisingly balanced sound, but the excellent battery life, USB-C charging and waterproofing all come together to form a product that’s great value for money.
These rather cheap headphones look, feel and sound like a much more premium set, which is why we rate them as some of the best true wireless earbuds available.
Put simply, the 1More Triple Driver headphones serve up some of the best audio quality you’ll find for just over AU$100.
These headphones have been specially tuned by a Grammy award-winning sound engineer, which has helped craft this rather novel set of proprietary drivers to provide your favourite tunes in near-perfect clarity.
They’re built well and fit nicely, though as a set of fully wired earphones, be prepared for snags and tangles. That’s a fairly insignificant critique, and we can’t recommend anything better than the 1More Triple Driver headphones at this price point.
Acoustic design: Open-back | Weight: 4g each (38g charging case) | Battery life (onboard): 5 hours | Battery life (charging case): 20 hours
Quick pairing
Sound excellent
One-size-fits-all design
Expensive at full price
The Apple AirPods aren’t the most affordable option on this list, but we think they’re a great buy when you can find them on sale.
The AirPods sound great, and have a better battery life than their predecessors. Apple’s H1 chip ensures pairing is snappy, and it’s especially seamless for iPhone and Mac users.
If the prices drops, as we expect later this year, they could just be a great value buy for those with an iOS device.
When it comes to workout headphones, Jaybird has quickly become a go-to name. There is a Pro version available, but these budget alternatives offers an equally compelling package.
For around half the price of the Jaybird Tarah Pro, these well-made earbuds offer crisp, customisable sound packaged in a sports-friendly design.
Unfortunately their battery life leaves something to be desired, with the earbuds lasting around six hours on a full charge. Still, if you’re looking for a cheap set of running headphones, their low price will more than make up for it.
Generally speaking, when it comes to cheap headphones, you get what you pay for. But AKG’s K92 headphones have proven to be an exception to the rule, as you get so much more for its low price.
While they’re an ageing set of headphones, they offer a level of sound quality that far outpaces their affordable price tag. We’re big fans of their nicely balanced sound, but be aware, these are some of the largest cans you might ever find – something to consider before buying.
On the spec sheet, however, it’s all good news. The K92’s 40mm drivers offer an extended frequency response of 16Hz-22kHz, giving each layer of sound room to breathe. Do note the cable length is rather long at three metres.
To help you decide which headphones work best for you, we’ve decided to put together a little buying guide with a list of our favourite recommendations.
The headphones you’ll find here have tons of features to help you to get the most out of your music, or any other form of audio-visual entertainment you prefer, however you like to listen to it.
(Image credit: Sony)
Our favourite cheaper noise-cancelling headphones: Sony WH-1000XM3
Before the Sony WH-1000XM4 came along, we considered the Sony WH-1000XM3 the best noise-cancelling headphones you could buy. While the updated model means that is no longer the case, the slightly older Sony WH-1000XM3 are a more tempting purchase since they’ve dropped in price.
The noise cancellation these headphones have can beat anything Bose has to offer with ease. That’s because Sony has dedicated time to perfecting audio playback and its noise-cancelling technology. While their best noise-cancelling crown has been handed over to the Sony WH-1000XM4, the previous model is still a great choice.
JBL is a name you’ve probably heard in the affordable audio space. The brand consistently puts out good quality speakers and headphones with an even better price tag to match. Our previous pick on this list was the JBL Live 650BTNC, but there’s now a worthy successor to take their place – the JBL Tune 750BTNC.
These noise-cancelling headphones sound great, look great, and they’re comfortable to wear for long periods of time. Maybe some might miss waterproofing and a few minor features but, at this price, it might be foolish to complain.
Our favourite true wireless earbuds: Sony WF-1000XM3
The true wireless headphone jungle has a new noise-cancelling king
Weight: 70g | Frequency response: 20Hz - 20kHz | Drivers: 6mm | Driver type: Dome Type | Sensitivity: N/A | Impedance: N/A | Battery life (charging case): 18 hours | Wireless range: 30ft | NFC: Yes
Efficient noise cancellation
Inconspicuous looks
Great fun to listen to
Not suitable for sports
It’s still rather rare to get ANC in wired earbuds at all, yet Sony has managed to squeeze best-in-class noise cancellation tech into these ‘buds that have cut the cord – and that’s no small feat to achieve.
And then there’s the battery life – Sony has even managed to pack above-average battery life in here, offering up to six hours of playback on a single charge of the ‘buds alone. And then there’s more to go in the charging case as well.
While the WF-1000XM3 won’t offer the same level of noise cancellation that you’ll find in their over-ear counterparts mentioned above, they offer a sleek form factor, and an alternative for those who don’t enjoy carrying around full-sized cans.
If you’re looking to amp up your fitness routine with an energetic soundtrack, our top pick would be the Beats Powerbeats Pro.
These true wireless earbuds fit comfortably on and around the ear, thanks to their close-fitting hook design, and they don’t seem to ever fall out – important when you’re in the middle of a workout.
They also have an IPX4 sweatproof rating, a long battery life of nine hours on a full charge and sound fantastic whether you’re in the gym or at home. What’s not to love?
A benchmark for an engineering sample of Intel's upcoming 10nm Alder Lake-S CPUs appears to show the new big.LITTLE CPU already outperforming an i9-9900K processor.
Several benchmark results for Intel's next-generation CPU - expected to arrive in late 2021 - have already appeared online, including one showing it supporting DDR5 RAM. This one that shows the processor's base frequency reaching 2.2GHz, which is the highest we've seen from the so far from Alder Lake-S in terms of its base frequency.
The test result for the 12th-gen CPU was taken from Geekbench 4.4, and as Videocardz points out, it might have had some trouble discerning the new processor architecture since it registers a 27.2GHz boost frequency - which is obviously an error of some kind (but boy howdy if Intel had that kind of surprise up its sleeve).
With a combination of eight high-performance "Golden Cove" cores and eight "Gracemont" efficiency cores, it's not known what type of core the base frequency was read from, but it was likely reading from a Gracemont one. With a base frequency of 2.2GHz, that would be significantly lower than an Intel i9-9900K, which has a base frequency of 3.6GHz and only one type of core.
Look at GeekBench 4.4's actual performance scoring, however, and Alder Lake-S actually outperforms the i9-9900K in single core performance by just under 100 points (6,436 to 6,340) and blows it away in terms of multicore performance (47,870 to 35,500), so GeekBench was almost certainly reading from an efficiency core when it clocked the CPU's base frequency.
There is a lot we still don't know about the engineering sample being tested, though. We've seen a couple of different processor frequencies for Alder Lake-S, so it's not known if this is a different processor class entirely or if it's a more mature revision of those earlier builds.
Still, the new benchmark does appear to confirm that Alder Lake-S will support DDR5 RAM and we already know that it will support PCIe 5.0. AMD's current generation of Ryzen CPUs aren't there yet, though AMD has said that its 5nm Zen 4 architecture - due in 2022 - will support DDR5 and PCIe 5.0.
Following its unfortunate cancellation last year due to coronavirus concerns, the Electronic Entertainment Expo (better known as E3) will reportedly return in 2021 as an all-digital event, according to pitch documents obtained by Video Games Chronicle.
The site alleges that the show's organizer, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), has proposed "three days of live-streamed coverage held during the previously announced dates of June 15-17."
The ESA will purportedly break the show up into several two-hour keynote sessions from major games partners, which will be complemented by shorter streams from "games publishers, influencers and media partners."
It's believed that games media will get a chance to check out the show's video game offerings on the week prior to the event, with some games demos for the general public released during the show.
While the ESA has yet to explicitly reveal its plans for the event, an official statement has confirmed that it is "transforming the E3 experience for 2021 and will soon share exact details on how we’re bringing the global video game community together.”
Sounds familiar...
It's worth noting that the proposed show sounds remarkably similar to last year's Summer Game Fest, which was launched by former E3 Coliseum host Geoff Keighley following his departure from the event in 2020.
Summer Game Fest also boasted online events, news, trailers and demos from some of the game industry's biggest publishers. It will be interesting to see how E3 2021 differs in that regard.
Many older Americans were eligible for the first and second stimulus checks, and should also qualify for a third payment, if one is approved. Here's everything to know about income, SSI and retirement.
