STACK #184 Feb 2020

LIFE TECH WELCOME

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T he holiday season (for most of us, anyway) is now just a distant memory, consigned to the galleries in our smartphones. So with the suitcases back in the wardrobe, it’s time to look at not just the new year ahead, but the new decade. Set free all of that ambition and adventure and pursue something new with the spirit of wonder. OK, let’s stop that right there. This isn’t a wellness publication; this is STACK and we deal in entertainment. While the new year does indeed bring with it the desire to reinvent, at least make it entertaining. Ever thought about being a content creator? We’ve all heard the stories of aspiring bedroomYouTube broadcasters and gaming streamers rising from the shadows of obscurity to global megastars, earning millions of dollars in sponsorship revenue along the way. There are indeed examples to propagate these stories, the most notable being PewDiePie, who attracts a whopping 102 million subscribers to his YouTube channel and earns enough to buy a Dunk Island every year. However, these positions didn’t just fall into the laps of the platinum division of content creators. Behind the scenes are years of hard work, belief and self-determination on broadcasting platforms that continue to evolve. But with a little technical know-how, a unique angle and plenty of persistence, there really isn’t anything holding you back from taking your creativity and ambition out into the ether. This month in LifeTech we’ve put together a content creation feature that covers YouTubers, Vloggers and video game streamers, where you can find all the information you need to take the first step in becoming the next content creation sensation. Also in this issue, we’ll be taking a look at the rise of mobile gaming from its humble beginnings as the monochromatic Snake (the hours we put into that!) , and history is set to repeat itself with the return of the flippable phone. Yep, Motorola's iconic Razr has been rebooted – and it's a real thing of beauty. TECH LIFE February

TECH TIPS

Buying a USB Flash

Go big or go home How many times have you gone for the smartphone with the smaller memory to ease the payments on your plan, and then regretted it a month down the track? Well, the same principals apply to a USB flash drive. You may be in the hunt for a flash drive with a 16GB memory capacity, but if the budget allows, over-compensate and push for the 32GB model – you won’t regret it! Built to last We’ve got a drawer full of flaky flash drives we’ve accumulated over the years from tech shows and conferences, which are built with all the resilience of a decaying tooth. So if you’re on the move with your flash drive on a daily basis, it’s important to buy one that will endure and not fall apart through regular use. Seek out one with an aluminium or sturdy plastic outer cover. Mind your privates Like sunglasses, flash drives are prone to being lost. Of course, if you have a list of your bank details and passwords, drunken mankini photos or sensitive presentations and pitch decks you don’t want falling into the wrong hands, you’re going to want to be protected. Therefore, look to purchase a flash drive that comes with a password encryption option for peace of mind. The fast and the furious While it won’t really make a difference with the smaller-sized flash drives, if you’re transferring a lot of data then obviously you’ll want the fastest transfer speeds. This will influence whether you choose a cheaper USB 2.0 flash drive for small data or opt for the USB 3.0 for faster transfers of much larger files. Just make sure the computer you’re using has a USB 3.0 port; if it only has a USB 2.0 (same size but the centre piece is painted black instead of blue) then you’re wasting your time and money.

Did you know? Think smart homes are a new concept? Think again. Back in 1966, Westinghouse Electric engineer James Sutherland designed the Electronic Computing Home Operator or ECHO IV. Hardly portable, it consisted of four large cabinets and weighed a hefty 365 kg. Installed at home, the ECHO IV had various keypads and terminals throughout the house and could perform such tasks as turning on and off the TV, stereo and alarm, control the temperature, handle the family accounting, and even predict the weather! Despite never becoming a retail proposition, the ECHO IV did open eyes to the potential of future home automation.

The smart home

28 FEBRUARY 2020

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