ITy Bytes April 11

ITy Bytes 11 May

ITy Bytes 11 April are snack sized bites of news that you need to know. In this edition

  • May the forth be with you – May 4 at the Sydney Power House Museum;
  • Razer Ripsaw HD external video capture;
  • IEM Sydney and Melbourne Esports Open to host live finals for Overwatch Contenders Australia;
  • Dominos adds Google Assistant ordering – Hey Google what Pizza do I want?;
  • Google adds events near you to Search;
  • Samsung Pay update makes Opal easier

ITy Bytes April 11

May the forth be with you

Celebrate May the Fourth, the biggest day of the year on the Star Wars calendar, at STAR WARS Identities: The Exhibition at the Sydney Powerhouse Museum. The exhibition winds up on 10 June 2019.

At the Exhibition on Stormtrooper Saturday (4 May) you can get up close and personal with your favourites from the Star Wars universe, with costumed fans greeting visitors throughout the day.

Visitors are encouraged to let their inner Jedis and Wookies shine, and turn up dressed as their favourite character, with plenty of prizes up for grabs. Just tag photos on social media to be in the running: #StarWarsIDSydney #Maythe4th

Young astronauts can fly through an intergalactic journey at kids’ storytelling sessions (11 am – 1 pm) in the Transport gallery, and let their imaginations run wild at an interstellar drawing station.

Space fans can embark on their own interplanetary mission this side of the universe, with live demonstrations of the Mars Lab’s robotic rover, Mawson. Watch this impressive robot in action on the Powerhouse Museum’s Mars Yard – a re-creation of the actual Martian surface – and find out how robots are used in navigating the universe.

STAR WARS Identities: The Exhibition 
Powerhouse Museum, 500 Harris Street, Ultimo NSW 2007
$23 Child, $32 Concession, $36 Adult and $95 Family (includes general admission) 
https://ma.as/starwarsidentities

ITy Bytes 11 April

Razer Ripsaw HD external video capture

Razer Ripsaw HD is an external multi-platform USB 3.0 video capture ‘dongle’ with full HD capture and 4K@60fps throughput for a high definition streaming and gameplay experience.

“With the Ripsaw HD joining our extensive Broadcaster range, streamers now have a capture card ready to broadcast the latest games at high resolution and framerates from both their PC or console,” says Min-Liang Tan, Razer co-founder and CEO. “Viewers will love the Full HD streams, while broadcasters can enjoy their games as they were intended with the 4K pass-through.”

It is Compatible with Open Broadcaster Software, Mixer, Streamlabs, XSplit, Twitch & YouTube. Price $279.95. Website here.

ITy Bytes 11 April

IEM Sydney and Melbourne Esports Open to host live finals for Overwatch Contenders Australia

The Overwatch Contenders Australia 2019 Season 1 Finals will debut at Qudos Bank Arena at the 2019 Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) Sydney from 4-5 May, while the Season 2 Finals will return to the Melbourne Esports Open at Rod Laver Arena on Sunday, 1 Sept.  

So make sure to tune into the official Overwatch Contenders Twitch channel to catch all the action, and stay in touch on the official Path to Pro, and Blizzard ANZ Twitter accounts for more updates.

Information and ticketing to IEM Sydney and the Melbourne Esports Open are here and here.

Information on Overwatch Contenders at IEM Sydney is here.

More information on Overwatch Contenders at the Melbourne Esports Open is here.

ITy Bytes 11 April

Dominos adds Google Assistant ordering – Hey Google what Pizza do I want?

Domino’s is proud to be the only quick-service restaurant in Australia to use voice technology, like Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, for online ordering.

“Our online orders regularly exceed 70 per cent of sales, with more than two million pizzas and sides ordered online each week – so it’s important that we continue to innovate in this space,” Domino’s Group Chief Digital and Technology Officer Michael Gillespie said.

“Now if our customers are entertaining guests or watching a movie at home, they can simply ask their Google Assistant to place their saved order with Domino’s and sit back and relax until the order arrives. Or if they are wondering where their order is, they can simply ask their Google Assistant for a status update.”

ITy Bytes 11 April

Google adds events to Search

Whether it’s Easter shows, art exhibitions or concerts, Google is making it even easier to find events in Search. 

Now when you search on your phone for things like “events near me” or “free concert,” new features will give Aussies personal recommendations, along with more information about events that may interest you. Whether you’re in Sydney, Hobart or Darwin, you’ll find a list of events from a variety of sites, including Ticketmaster, Eventbrite, Timeout, Concrete Playground – and also key information about the event, right on Search.

While browsing events, you can tap the “For You” tab to get personalised ideas for things to do near you. You’ll also see trending and popular events in your area to keep you in the loop on the hottest happenings.

ITy Bytes 11 April

Samsung Pay update makes Opal easier

Samsung Pay is updating its software to access selected Opal services without having to wake or unlock their Samsung Phone.

The tech within this update will enable people to tap their phone just as they would a credit/debit card – even if the phone is locked or they’re in the middle of a call or listening to music. The new ‘always available’ feature is available with the next Samsung Pay software update.

Australians will be one of the first in the world to use the feature, with the update being developed specifically for the Opal system in NSW, building on the contactless payment system rolled out by Transport for New South Wales.

Mark Hodgson, head of Samsung Pay in Australia, said: “Samsung is investing in delivering cutting-edge solutions for Samsung Pay to help provide customers with maximum convenience and security for their mobile wallet. As a first step, we are rolling out this technology to work with the Opal system in NSW.

Contactless payment and the Opal system

NSW commuters can use their Samsung phone to pay for trips on any Opal terminal that accepts credit or debit cards, including Sydney Trains, NSW TrainLink Intercity rail services, light rail or on a Sydney Ferries service. Contactless payments are not yet available for Buses. Contactless fares are the same price as a standard (peak) Adult Opal fare for the same trip.

For a full overview of the Opal, Contactless payment system read GadgetGuy’s guide here.

ITy Bytes 11 April

Ity Bytes April 11 is curated news. Vendors can submit to news@gadgetguy.com.au