ITy Bytes 25 September – in this issue
- Sonos goes portable – at last,
- IKEA Sonos SYMFONISK range instore 27 September,
- Chargeasap Infinity magnetic USB cable with QC 3/4.0, 100W and 480Mbps,
- Yubico YubiKey 5Ci now has dual USB- and Lightning connectors,
- LG adds AI and direct drive to its front load washers,
- Latest Teardowns from iFixit – in case you are curious,
- Huawei StorySign – a literacy app for deaf children – is now available on iOS,
- Travel Like a Pro – see Val Quinn’s travel tips,
- JBL goes loud with Partybox 1000,
- HP’s new breed of business lappys and monitors,
ITy Bytes is a quick dose of curated new you need to know
Sonos goes portable – at last
Sonos has released its Move – an IP56 ‘weather-resistant’, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 10-hour battery, portable speaker. As with all Sonos gear, it does not disclose specifications so you will have to trust us when we say it is great and at $649 you need to be a Sonos fan.
When it is on Wi-Fi, it has all the usual Sonos features including voice assistants and AirPlay 2
We hope to review it shortly.
IKEA Sonos SYMFONISK range in store 27 September
As previously reported the IKEA SONOS collaboration has a release date of 27 September in Australia.
SYMFONISK Table Lamp with Wi-Fi Speaker: $269. IKEA and Sonos have created a great sounding, great looking piece of furniture that blends into the home in a new way, making it easier to furnish with sound.
SYMFONISK Wi-Fi Bookshelf Speaker: $149 With the Wi-Fi bookshelf speaker, customers will get a connected and multi-functional speaker at an affordable price. It can easily double as a shelf that takes up to 3kg with an optional the bracket.
Chargeasap Infinity magnetic USB cable with QC 3/4.0, 100W and 480Mbps
Aussie firm Chargeasap (makers of the UNO Cable reviewed here) have placed its Infinity cable on Kickstarter. Its goal of raising $14,763 is now up to $43,419 with 59 days to go.
It is an upgraded UNO with 100W PD charging (for Macbook and Windows laptops) and QC 3 and 4/0 compatibility.
Yubico YubiKey 5Ci now has dual USB- and Lightning connectors
The YubiKey 5Ci is the world’s first security key with both USB-C and Lightning connectors. It makes it easier for consumers or enterprises looking for strong hardware-backed authentication across iOS, Android, macOS, or Windows devices.
The YubiKey 5Ci can secure the 1Password, Bitwarden, Dashlane, Idaptive, Keeper Security, LastPass, and Okta iOS mobile applications along with additional services accessed through the Brave iOS browser app. Supported logins on the Brave browser include Bitbucket.org, GitHub.com, Login.gov, Twitter.com, and 1Password.com. Monkton Rebar and XTN also support the YubiKey 5Ci in their latest software development kits.
One step closer to ending passwords. GadgetGuy has reviewed and likes Yuibico keys.
LG adds AI and direct drive to its front load washers
The machines incorporate a stainless-steel inner drum, tempered glass door front and a 10-year parts warranty on the Direct Drive motor.
LG AI DD applies drum movement sequences to the wash cycle, based on the weight and delicateness of the garments in the load. This ensures that the optimal wash motions are applied for each selected cycle, for an effective clean every time, with the added benefit of reduced clothing wear and tear.
The TurboClean feature delivers the convenience of as little as 39 minutes to complete a half load of lightly soiled clothes. Utilising a Multi Spray’ system, the ‘Series 9’ washers uniquely deliver jets of water from four different directions simultaneously, helping to speed the washing and rinsing process.
“The advancements in technology in these machines with the addition of AI technology delivers considerable added customer benefits over our previous machines,” said Brad Reed, Senior Marketing Manager, Home Appliances, LG Electronics Australia.
| Model | Size | Key Features | RRP |
| Series 5 – WV5-1275 | 7.5kg | AI DD, Narrow Depth | $839 |
| Series 5 – WV5-1408W | 8kg | AI DD | $959 |
| Series 5 – WV5-1409W | 9kg | AI DD | $1079 |
| Series 7 – WV7-1408W | 8kg | AI DD, TurboClean | $1139 |
| Series 7 – WV7-1409W | 9kg | AI DD, TurboClean | $1259 |
| Series 9 – WV9-1408W | 8kg | AI DD, TurboClean 360 | $1319 |
| Series 9 – WV9-1409W | 9kg | AI DD, Turboclean 360 | $1439 |
Latest Teardowns from iFixit – in case you are curious
- Galaxy Note 10+ (5G)
- Galaxy Note 10+
- iPhone 11
- iPhone 11 Pro Max
- Airpods 2019
- Powerbeats Pro
- MacBook Pro 13
- MacBook Pro 15
Huawei StorySign – a literacy app for deaf children – is now available on iOS
StorySign is now available on both Android and iOS and comes alive with Star, the app’s friendly signing avatar developed in partnership with world-class studio Aardman alongside input from experts in the deaf community. Star translates a range of popular children’s books into sign language in real-time, creating a seamless reading experience and allowing deaf children to enjoy storytime.
It announced two new books in Australia. ‘There’s a Dragon in Your Book’ by Tom Fletcher and ‘Ten Minutes to Bed Little Monster’ by Rhiannon Fielding have just launched in Auslan, the sign language of Australia’s deaf community.
Harnessing the power of Huawei AI technology, StorySign is a free mobile app that translates popular children’s books into the sign language to make storytime possible for deaf and hard of hearing children.
Kyle Miers, CEO of Deaf Australia, said: “The support that we have received from Huawei to date has had a genuine impact on deaf children and their families. Through our ongoing partnership, we are continuing to work closely to ensure that StorySign reaches as many families and communities as possible, helping us get one step closer to our shared ambition of helping more deaf children learn to read.”
Travel Like a Pro – see Val Quinn’s travel tips
JBL goes loud with Partybox 1000
JBL’s Partybox 1000 is an 1100-Watt high-energy JBL Signature Sound speaker with full panel lightning effects guaranteed to electrify the dance floor and keep the beats going for hours on end.
It features a turbo-charge to provide a full three-way acoustic package for a continuous, bigger, more epic sound. To add a more disco feel there is a funky full panel and strobe lighting effects or plug in a mic and guitar, for those wanting to take to the stage at any event.
Partybox is a new range of loudspeakers including the 100 ($449.95), 300 ($599.95) and the 1000 ($1299.95)
HP’s new breed of business lappys and monitors
HP’s Elite Dragonfly has longest battery life, with up to 24.5-hour battery life.
- Wi-Fi 6 connectivity.
- Optional 4G LTE
- <1kg precision-crafted from CNC-machined Magnesium in iridescent Dragonfly Blue.
- An impressive screen-to-body of almost 86%
- Best-for-business performance with an 8th Gen Intel Core vPro processor
HP is launching two new vibrant displays designed for productivity:
HP S430c Curved Ultrawide Monitor – available December 4 for 1,299
- Seamless 43.3-inch curved display, equivalent of dual 24-inch diagonal displays.
- HP Device Bridge: a new technology allowing users to simultaneously control two PCs.
HP E344c Curved Monitor – available October 27 for $899
- Immersive, ultra-thin 34-inch diagonal curved display
- Three-way ergonomics with tilt, swivel and height adjustments up to 150mm
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