In Sunday’s segment on Sky News Australia (Weekend Edition with Tim Gilbert) we looked at mobile coverage for Easter road trips. A cheap city plan may leave many travellers out of range on bush roads. This is where area coverage not population coverage matters. Australia is 7.7 million km² and Telstra covers 2.6 million km² – one million more than nearest rival Optus.
Clearly Telstra offers more coverage but you don’t need a Telstra account to take advantage of that wider service area. There’s a simple ‘hack’ without leaving your current provider that works fine in city areas. And that ‘hack’ is buying a Boost pre-paid sim. Boost is the only MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) that has access to Telstra’s entire network, excluding 5G which isn’t relevant in this discussion.
If you are already with Telstra you can get devices to boost coverage but you’re looking at another thousand dollars. I tested the CEL-FI Go on the fringe of Telstra’s network last year and it works. A quick look at coverage maps will show you there are still plenty of gaps out there so if you’re going off the main roads – take into account your mobile phone coverage. Or .. get a satellite phone.
SAVE YOUR SANITY WITH QR STORAGE APP
A few months ago I order a stack of NFC tags to set up an elaborate storage catalogue system for the hundreds of boxes in my garage and off-site storage facility. Luckily I did nothing more about it because I just discovered INABOX. INABOX sells QR codes on sheets but offers a free app to identify and log your boxes. I bought a couple of packs from Bunnings at $9 AUD for 32QR stickers. The key here is the app. Once you sign up you attach a sticker to a box – scan it – then enter the data. You can take photo of the contents as well. It’s a simple but convenient solution when it comes to storage clutter.
GOPRO VOLTA BATTERY GRIP
Battery life on GoPro cameras is my biggest concern but there’s a new accessory that solves that and a lot more. Volta will extend your GoPro’s battery life (Models 10 and 9) and give you simple remote recording.
Here’s a list of the key features:
Over 4 hours of 5.3K recording at 30 frames per second: Built-in 4900 mAh battery combines with your camera’s standard battery to triple its normal battery with even more runtime when recording at lower resolutions.Integrated camera buttons: Give you easy one-handed control of your GoPro while it’s attached to the grip.
Wireless remote: Detach Volta to use as a remote control for your camera from up to 30M away for group shots or selfies.
Built-in tripod legs: Easily flip out any time you need to set it down to capture extended time lapse footage and other stationary shots.
Weather-resistant: Fit for rain and snow conditions.
Volta costs $199.95 AUD or $136.96 AUD if you’re a GoPro subscriber – which I am.
ULTIMATE ELECTRIC GAMING BED
If you’re into serious gaming and sleep .. this is the ideal purchase for you. Check out the Bauhutte Electric Gaming Bed. It’s sold out Amazon in Japan. This motorised bed moves for your comfort and when combined with “Bed Desk” you’ll be able to game, work or watch TV all day and night.
The bed costs about $1000 AUD.