STACK #242 December 2024

STACK ’ s TECH tips

It sounds obvious, but keep your devices, particularly laptops and smartphones, out of direct sunlight. Give your devices’ vents and ports a regular clean with a burst of compressed air – blocked vents can lead to heat build-up. Don’t leave your devices in hot environments like inside a car where they are likely to overheat. If the device feels hot, power it off and take a break to cool it. Power off when not in use. Summer is here, but it’s not just your body that needs protection from the sun. Here are five tips to keep your devices cool during the hotter months.

DECEMBER

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.

DYK?

Australia has a high smartphone penetration rate, with 91% of the population owning one.

Unplug devices when they’re fully charged to prevent overheating from prolonged charging.

EDITOR’S CHOICE

What tech has been floating the boat of the writers at STACK recently? You can find it right here every month.

1966

What was the hottest tech in…

T he mere mention of a boombox evokes imagery of summertime New York streets in the early ‘80s, a fountain of water erupting from a broken fire hydrant, and kids breakdancing in the streets. Like many things retro, the boombox is back in vogue, with original units fetching record prices on online auction sites. But where did the boombox originate?

AMAZON ECHO SPOT After an alarm clock that can do much more than just tell the time? Amazon’s Echo Spot looks

like the Echo Pop smart speaker but with a colour screen up top and a powerful speaker underneath. Fully Alexa equipped, it’s a doddle connecting to music

In 1966, Dutch company Philips introduced the Norelco 22RL962. The device was groundbreaking for several reasons. It came with a plug-in microphone, a four band radio, and, sited on top, a cassette player. The Compact Cassette was invented by Philips just three years prior, and the unique selling

services for playlists, plus it supports Audible.

point of the Norelco 22RL962 was that users could record music directly from the radio to the cassette without using

Control is easy, either by commanding Alexa or by pressing volume up/down buttons atop the unit, beside a microphone-off button. For added security, there’s no camera. For time-telling, several clock faces are included, with options for day, date, and outside temperature. You can even pick colour schemes to match your vibe. Setting alarms is simple - just ask Alexa, or use the Alexa app. The latter is also handy for more granular alarm setting, like choosing a song to wake up to. Sleek and modern, the Echo Spot is perfect for those wanting a small clock with all the smart capabilities of Alexa.

a microphone or external wires. With a built-in mono speaker and

Shush, don’t tell the kids, but our January issue is all about back to school. We’ll be looking at the very latest tech, and will provide handy tips to ensure that when your cherubs are ready to return to school in late January/early February, they’ll have everything that they need ready to go! On The Radar

housed in a protective leather case, on release the Norelco cost an eye-watering $210, which equates to close to $3000 at today’s prices. Despite its innovations, the radio cassette player failed to find appeal with consumers. However, the seed was planted, and in the mid- '70s, the giant Japanese audio companies took the idea and ran with it. Before long, the race to design bigger and better had started, and the larger and louder the boombox or ghetto blaster was on your shoulder, the more street cred you carried.

3