STACK #202 Aug 2021

LIFE TECH FEATURE

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FATHER’S DAY

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that’s less visible, but endlessly useful – an upgrade to your home networking. Even the best modem/routers can only offer limited Wi-Fi range, and while there are ways to extend that via the use of add-ons like repeaters, speed can be compromised. A mesh router system can solve all that,

THE PERFECT TIME TO UPDATE DAD’S TECH

providing fast, expandable Wi-Fi coverage around the home and making sure fast internet is always

on tap.

One of the more popular mesh systems comes from eero, whose TrueMesh 6 [10] delivers Wi-Fi 6 speed to up to 460 square metres of house, supports smart home devices like Philips Hue via its built-in hub, and takes only a few minutes to set up. It fully

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supports gigabit speeds, too, so it’s ready for the fastest NBN plans available. Also onboard the gigabit mesh train is Netgear,

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For many dads, though, a desktop PC will be the computer of choice. Dell’s done some cleverness with their latest desktop release, an “all-in-one” PC [6] that gets away from the “big box” design of the traditional PC and puts the entire computer inside a futuristic- looking 24-inch desktop display. That means less clutter, less cables, and a screen that looks just as good when streaming content as it does shuffling spreadsheets. But Dell’s not the only company to squeeze a desktop PC into a screen – HP’s latest Pavilion PC [7] also takes the super-compact approach, with an even bigger 27-inch touchscreen and an ultra-low- profile wireless keyboard. If dad’s current tablet is, like many, starting to feel slow and frustrating to use even for the

basics, a solid upgrade can be found with Lenovo’s Android-powered P11 [8] – as the model number suggests, an 11” tablet with a high resolution 2000 x 1200 IPS touchscreen display. Made with movies in mind, it boasts four speakers with Dolby Atmos capability, along with a huge 15-hour battery life, making it dependable on the go for work and play. Samsung’s Galaxy

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Tab A7 [9] also goes for that high resolution on a slightly smaller 10.4” screen, still managing to squeeze Dolby Atmos audio and an 8-core processor inside an even more compact package that’s extremely well-priced. There is one major update you can gift dad

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Didn't you kill my father? Revenge is a theme that’s served movies well since their inception, and video games have certainly followed in these well-worn, always resonant footsteps. Here are three of the best father avenging quests...

Ghost of Tsushima As young samurai Jin Sakai, you’re on the vengeance trail after having, as a child, witnessed your samurai lord

Shenmue series The father of Ryo Hazuki dies in a duel with Chinese martial artist Lan Di, so the fatherless young man sets out over three games to avenge his dad’s death.

Assassin’s Creed II While revenge is a common theme in the Assassin’s Creed series, this instalment saw young Ezio Auditore da Firenze join the Assassins to avenge the death of his father AND two brothers. Harsh!

whose Orbi system [11] promises even more in-home speed without slowdown – perfect for sending big files between devices without interrupting anyone’s video streaming. Made up of a main router and a satellite device, its powerful antennas and tech promise to eat gigabit speeds for breakfast while eliminating dead zones. As far as tech updates go, mesh Wi-Fi is a game-changer.

father’s death at the hands of a bandit.

76 AUGUST 2021

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