STACK #214 August 2022

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AUGUST LIFE TECH Technology has become an integral part of Australian lifestyles and continues to advance in leaps and bounds. From smartphones to smart homes, STACK keeps you up to date on the latest consumer tech in user-friendly terms, along with key points to consider before you buy. If you love tech, you’re in the right place.

STACK ’ s TECH tips

While most of us are across the need to clear caches on our laptops and desktops regularly, when it comes to our smartphones, we generally

don’t apply the same level of attention. Most browsers will store temporary files from websites to reduce load times. If the caches are cleared regularly (every four to eight weeks), it frees up smartphone storage, which can improve speed and performance. Remember that when you clear the cache, you will be signed out of any sites currently logged into. However, it's worth the minor hassle if you want to get the best out of your smartphone.

1971

What was the hottest tech in…

Do you have a tech horror story? Has tech come back to ‘byte’ you hard? Have you sent a text to the wrong person or deleted your employer’s hard drive by accident?Well, we want to hear about it. Send your terror byte to editor@stack.com.au J. Costello recounts his tech nightmare below. I n late 2013 I picked up the new PS4, and Battlefield 4 quickly became my game of choice. I couldn’t put it down and was totally addicted. My granddad was particularly ill around the same time, and one Saturday morning, my mum called early to say he’d been rushed to hospital. It was serious, and she asked me to make my way as soon as I could. “I’ll just finish this game,” I told myself, but before long, I was locked into a serious session, so I failed to hear the vibration of my phone grumbling on the kitchen bench. In what must’ve been several hours later, I got up for a toilet break and checked my phone. There were heaps of missed calls from my mum, dad, and brother. My heart sank. I called Mum, telling her I was leaving straight away, but she told me it was too late; my granddad had passed 30 minutes earlier. I’m not sure Mum has ever forgiven me for it.

Landline? In a world where smartphones are not just physical communication tools but online portals, life organisers, and digital pay points, fixed landlines in the home have become practically obsolete. But for years, the humble phone in the house was where business was conducted and social engagements arranged. The other feature that is often taken for granted on a smartphone is voicemail. It’s a safety net that many of us rely on to catch calls when we’re busy (or swerve calls we don’t want to take). Back in early 1971,

if you missed a call to a landline while you were out, you’d have no way of knowing about it. Enter Mark Brooks, who had been developing a concept for a residential answering machine in 1969 when the company he worked for was sold. Brooks took his idea and set up a company called PhoneMate from home, where he built the PhoneMate 400. This was a four-and-a-half kilo machine that used a reel-to reel tape to record a message from a missed call. Once the tape reached the message limit, it would rewind and begin recording again. A simple but effective device, the PhoneMate 400 retailed for a whopping US$300 ($3,000 Aussie in today’s money) and would eventually become a best-seller. It was a revolution in the world of telephone communication; people no longer had to wait by the phone for an important call.

On The Radar

Great news for smartphone lovers. We're going deep into the latest smartphone releases in our September issue. So, if you're in the market for a new handset or looking to upgrade, we'll have everything you need to know – plus the essential accessories – to take the next step. And who said whitegoods are boring? We're out to prove that wrong. The incredible tech in the kitchen and laundry these days is mind-blowing.

40 AUGUST 2022

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