STACK #202 Aug 2021

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TECH LIFE AUGUST

STACK ’ s Tech Tip

O ur first experience with an electric rideable was in Los Angeles. Wondering how to interact with the dozens of e-scooters leaning against walls or left outside shopping malls, a colleague from New Zealand pulled out his smartphone, scanned the QR code, and shot off into the distance. For the uninitiated, the rental system seemed like a dream come true: use a smartphone to track down a scooter that wasn’t in use, and then hop off and on as required. Riding an e-scooter for the first time tapped deep into nostalgia. “It’s like riding a speeder bike through Endor , ” yelled one travel companion as he hurtled down Hollywood Boulevard. The increasing popularity of e-scooters in Australia is impossible to ignore and while laws do differ from state to state, more and more riders are choosing to ditch the car in place

of an electric scooter. But it’s not just e-scooters hogging the rideable limelight. Electric bicycles are now proving to be a popular alternative to traditional bikes. Many older cyclists are returning to two wheels, buoyed by the knowledge that the little bit of extra help needed to get up a hill comes in the form of electric pedal assist. Europe has long since recognised the benefits of electric bikes and the same is happening here in Australia. So, whether you’re looking at an e-scooter to cruise the streets, throw on the train to travel that last mile to the office or home, or an e-bike to tackle the entire commute to work (dispensing with the car in the process), we’re taking a good look at the latest electric rideables to land at JB. Whatever you need in a rideable, we’ll get you on the road.

Like any electronic device, by performing regular maintenance

1 Keep em’ clean and dry! Most e-scooters and e-bikes are designed to be splashproof (not waterproof, so avoid submerging them), so if you do get caught out in the rain or ride in wet conditions, make sure you dry them off completely on your return. Water can lead to corrosion, and no one wants that. 2 Boost the battery! Just like a smartphone, ideally, you never want the battery to run right down before you recharge. Why? Because lithium-ion batteries only have a set amount of full charge cycles, so top up regularly and try to keep battery life above 50 per cent. 3 Right part for the right job! Always charge your rideable with the correct charger supplied by the manufacturer. An incorrect charger can damage the battery, and batteries are expensive. 4 Under pressure! Keeping tyre pressure up to the manufacturer’s recommended level will help preserve the tyre, keep wear consistent, and prevent unnecessary motor strain. 5 Catching a brake! The most important part of your rideable is the part that will bring you to a stop when needed. There are many different brake systems used across rideables but in general, keep them dry, clean and free of twigs and dirt. And keep an eye out, particularly with disc brakes, for wear. and following a few tips, you’ll get the best out of your rideable.

On The Radar

What was the hottest tech in… 1971

Way back in the early ‘70s, if you whipped a Canon Poketronic out of your bag, you meant business. Development began in conjunction with Texas Instruments in 1967 and eventually landed in stores in the west during 1971. Basic in operation, it contained 13 rechargeable battery cells and could only perform four basic functions: divide, subtract, multiply and addition. But the real showstopper was the thermal tape that spat the printed

We’re looking into the world of small and large appliances next month and examining all those handy little gadgets around the kitchen that just make life around the house that much easier. We’ll also take a deep dive into the cool tech revolutionising those white goods appliances in the home that we all take for granted.

result of the calculation out the side in a strip. It cost $345 on launch (around 3k Australian in today’s money) and had sold more than five million units by 1972…

46 AUGUST 2021

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