If you’re a fan of tech news, then you’re likely aware that Facebook is making some big changes and transforming itself as Meta – but what does it all mean?

While our morning scroll session often feels like the modern day equivalent of reading the newspaper for all the latest news and gossip, it’s important to remember that Facebook was initially constructed to resemble a community. Quite literally millions of resources are within our reach in a matter of seconds, as well as the possibility of forming real connections. Of course, this was once the end goal for founder Mark Zuckerberg, who created the foundations of the social network all the way back in 2003.

However, it’s no secret that Zuckerberg is a fan of thinking big, and his rebranding the Facebook parent company as Meta – derived from the Greek word meaning “beyond” – in early November 2021 only solidifies this view point. According to Meta’s press release about the long term goal of the “metaverse”, Zuckerberg’s vision for Meta is to create a digital world where users can virtually meet, work and play using a VR headset, glasses or your device – think of it kind of like a real-life video game.

Welcome To The Metaverse 

When pondering how Meta as a corporation will soon influence the way we work, play, socialise and ultimately live, it’s important to remember exactly which brands fall under the Facebook – and now, Meta – umbrella. 

According to Facebook, connection is evolving, and so are we. While the Facebook web platform and eventual app are now regarded as one of the primary pioneers of social media, the corporation has now collected a wide variety of companies under its banner such as Instagram, WhatsApp, and Oculus. As the latter is one of the world’s leaders when it comes to headsets used for virtual reality technologies, this alone is perhaps one of the biggest indicators as to where Zuckerberg plans to take the Meta brand in the future.

With the Facebook parent brand now formally known as Meta Platforms Incorporated, Meta hopes to shift beyond its roster of two-dimensional social media platforms and propel itself as a groundbreaking pioneer for an interactive digital environment that it’s now dubbing as the Metaverse. While the individual Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook apps will remain unchanged, Meta is shifting its focus towards replicating the feeling of real social presence with interactions over the internet.

The future Metaverse that we’ve been promised by the tech giants in Silicon Valley is best summarised as an online digital social space, where users can meet, work, and play collaboratively across a variety of devices. The Metaverse is aiming to bridge the gap between virtual reality headsets, mobile devices, and laptops, and users can ‘enter’ a virtual environment that consists of interconnected worlds from apps to games. 

A core part of the experience is creating a digital avatar of yourself, which is designed to help ground your presence in this next evolution of interacting with the web. If you’re inside the Metaverse using a VR headset like the Oculus Quest 2, you can communicate with others from a virtual environment of your choosing while represented by your digital avatars. Whether you’re in a casual chat with a friend or a work meeting, you can talk to people in the real world through their phone or webcam, while they’re displayed on a virtual screen in front of you.

If the concept is still baffling you, we would recommend taking the time to watch Steven Spielberg’s recent film “Ready Player One”, which essentially depicts a virtual realm not so different to what’s on offer through the Metaverse, and is also in the not so distant future. However, the film also offers a warning, and doesn’t shy away from the potential downsides of retreating to a virtual world in favour of engaging in the real one, so how the Metaverse will attempt to tackle this balance is anyone’s guess.

Talk Tech News With The Professionals 

SOS Phone Repairs are specialists in high-quality, cost-effective phone repairs, tablet repairs, and PC repairs, all backed with a six month warranty. Founded in 2015 in Coffs Harbour and now with over sixteen outlets located all over Australia, our primary driving factors remain the same: people and phones. 

Whether it’s to get a few more years out of your trusted iPhone, to fix one up to sell, or to repurpose an old one as a gift, repairing a smartphone might just be easier and cheaper than you think. However, if you’re in the market for a new smartphone, SOS Phone Repairs also stocks a wide variety of refurbished handsets at a fraction of the cost of a brand new one. While each has been carefully restored to perform at their best, all refurbished smartphones purchased through SOS also come with a twelve month warranty, and can be purchased at any of our sixteen store locations.  

If you are on the hunt for a quote, diagnostic, or even just some good old fashioned, friendly advice, please don’t hesitate to get in touch or give us a call today at SOS Phone Repairs. 

While Australia is home to lots of people with big ideas, there’s also a surprising number of modern day tech inventions that we can also claim as our own too. 

Despite a number of stereotypes placed on us internationally, us Aussies really are a bunch of smart cookies. From Pavlova to Paul Kelly, our home grown exports have all made significant contributions to the global community. While we’ve never really been regarded as a hub for innovation when it comes to tech inventions, the reality is that couldn’t be further from the truth. So much so, that Australians don’t even realise our claim to some of our most famous creations, with just a handful including the following. 

Tech Inventions Made Right Here In Australia 

It’s no secret that as Australians, we take great pride in our ability to solve problems and innovate – we’re a nation that is home to surf champs who fend off potential shark attacks via a swift uppercut. However, many people make the mistake of assuming that modern day tech inventions are all birthed in Silicon Valley, when quite a number of these creations were born right here on home turf. 

WiFi – It’s difficult to imagine that there’s now an entire generation that’s never known a world without wireless internet. Now used by more than a billion people across the world, the origins of WiFi have many contributors, but the modern day version as we know it was originally developed by a team from the CSIRO. Led by renowned Australian physicist and engineer, Dr John O’Sullivan, the team used core components adapted from radio astronomy research collected in the seventies. 

Google Maps – Can you actually imagine backpacking or even a road trip without Google Maps to help you find the way? In 2003, Australia’s hometown heroes Neil Gordon and Stephen Ma went into business with Danish brothers, Lars and Jens Rasmussen. Together, they went on to found a small tech start-up in Sydney, known as Where 2 Technologies. Just twelve months later, Google purchased the company and hired all four gents, turning their web mapping platform into what we now know as Google Maps.

Black Box Flight Recorder – The flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder, or black boxes as they are often called, store data about planes. They can provide vital information in air accident investigations, and are purposefully designed to survive plane crashes. While it’s easy to assume that tech inventions of this nature would surely originate from the United States, the claim actually belongs to Australian scientist, David Warren. When investigating fatal plane crashes, he noted the need for data from the plane’s final moments, and voila!

Electronic Pacemaker – A pacemaker is a small device used to treat some arrhythmias, or when the heart can beat too fast, too slow, or with an irregular rhythm. There are around three million people worldwide with pacemakers today, and may not have stuck around this long without them. Developed by an Australian doctor Mark Lidwill and physicist Edgar Booth, a pacemaker uses small electric charges to stimulate a regular heartbeat. While the device was first used in 1928 to revive a newborn baby, it’s now a staple in cardio treatment globally. 

Refrigeration – While iceboxes were used for centuries as a means to keep all kinds of things cool, ice is not exactly a medium that’s easy to come by in a hot and humid climate like Australia. As such, our island nation can actually claim refrigeration as one of our most valuable tech inventions, with the concept originating all the way back in 1855, when Aussie engineer and politician James Harrison received a patent for his vapour-compression system. In fact, his refrigerator was the result of a commercial ice making machine he’d created a year earlier. 

Power Board – In an age where we’re increasingly reliant on a wide range of digital and electronic devices, we’re not quite at a point where they recharge themselves. As such, there’s nothing more frustrating than a lack of power points to do so, which is when the use of the extremely handy power board comes in. Aussie inventor Frank Bannigan had this same issue all the way back in 1972, but failed to patent his idea and ultimately cost him and the company he worked for millions in royalties – poor Frank! 

Digital Sampler – A sampler is an electronic or digital musical instrument which uses sound recordings of real instruments or recorded songs. Without it, the world of EDM, or electronic dance music, wouldn’t exist. While it’s easy to assume that it would surely have been a German creation given their love of the genre, it’s actually Australia that can claim it’s invention via the 1979 Fairlight Computer Musical Instrument digital sampler, created by Peter Vogel and Kim Ryrie. On its release, it retailed for an eye watering £18,000, or roughly $34,000 dollars by today’s standards. 

Technology certainly is a wonderful thing, there’s simply no doubt about it. However, in order for it to stay relevant, beneficial and glitch free, the dark side of it is the constant updates that the humble consumer is required to keep up with. Thankfully, if you’re having issues with a device and are out of options, the good news is that help is only a phone call away. 

Talk Technology With The Professionals 

SOS Phone Repairs are specialists in high-quality, cost-effective phone repairs, tablet repairs, and PC repairs, all backed with a six month warranty. Founded in 2015 in Coffs Harbour and now with over sixteen outlets located all over Australia, our primary driving factors remain the same: people and phones. 

Whether it’s to get a few more years out of your trusted iPhone, to fix one up to sell, or to repurpose an old one as a gift, repairing a smartphone might just be easier and cheaper than you think. However, if you’re in the market for a new smartphone, SOS Phone Repairs also stocks a wide variety of refurbished handsets at a fraction of the cost of a brand new one. While each has been carefully restored to perform at their best, all refurbished smartphones purchased through SOS also come with a twelve month warranty, and can be purchased at any of our sixteen store locations.  

If you are on the hunt for a quote, diagnostic, or even just some good old fashioned, friendly advice, please don’t hesitate to get in touch or give us a call today at SOS Phone Repairs. 

While the tech giant is revered for its innovation, information on new products is usually kept under wraps – so what can we expect from Apple in the near future?

In August 2011, Apple founder and visionary Steve Jobs resigned as CEO due to health complications. Jobs died just two months later, marking the end of an era for the company. However, under new CEO Tim Cook’s command, Apple has continued to be ground zero for tech innovation in not just the United States, but the world. 

Although Cook is regarded to be a ‘metrics man’ when compared to Jobs’ visionary outlook, the former has managed to catapult Apple into a new era of profitability with expansion into new territories such as Apple Music. Despite the innovation that Apple has long prided themselves on, at some point the tech giant also has to incorporate user demand into their product releases.

As such, devout Apple users have been equally excited and frustrated at the secrecy that usually surrounds the launch of new products. All good retailers like to have their freshest offerings out in time for the prime season of buyers, which may help to explain Apple’s annual September event usually used to launch new devices just in time for Christmas – but that doesn’t mean that we can’t speculate in the meantime. 

New Apple Updates Rumoured For This Year 

2021 gave us some pretty fantastic upgrades to existing Apple products, such as the iPhone 13 series, the long-awaited AirPods 3, the new iPad and iPad mini, and the powerhouse MacBook Pro with the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips. While these have all been widely anticipated, that doesn’t mean that users aren’t already turning their attention to gossip surrounding the next batch of offerings. 

Foldable iPhones – While some pretty obvious additions to next year’s lineup include the iPhone 14 and upgrades to the budget friendly iPhone SE Plus, news sources out of Taiwan have claimed that two types of foldable models have recently passed durability tests, completed in the Chinese Foxconn factory. 

AirPods Pro 2 – Rumoured to include new features linked to fitness tracking, improved battery life and enhanced audio capabilities, these premium earbuds will most likely also feature a more compact design and a new wireless chip, and will likely eliminate the short stem that currently sticks out at the bottom of the AirPods Pro.

AR Glasses – Fans of Iron Man will be aware of Tony Stark’s “smart glasses”, but might be surprised to learn that similar technology is already well on the way at Apple. Industry experts believe that Apple Glasses that feature augmented reality will bring information from your phone to your face, and rely heavily on the data available through a user’s existing iPhone. 

Mac Mini – Apple could make the next Mac mini even more powerful with either the M1 Pro, M1 Max, or the rumored M1X chipset that hasn’t made an appearance yet. If speculation is to be believed, Apple is gearing up to revamp the overall design, making it slimmer, with a plexiglass top and magnetic charging connector.

Apple Car – Although this one might be a bit of a long shot when it comes to new product releases for 2022, Apple has been working on autonomous electric cars since 2015. Although they’re not likely to hit the market anytime soon, Apple did seek permission to test two hundred cars in 2017 in California, under the name “Project Titan”.

Technology certainly is a wonderful thing, there’s simply no doubt about it. However, in order for it to stay relevant, beneficial and glitch free, the dark side of it is the constant updates that the humble consumer is required to keep up with. Thankfully, if you’re having issues with a device and are out of options, the good news is that help is only a phone call away. 

Talk Technology With The Professionals 

SOS Phone Repairs are specialists in high-quality, cost-effective phone repairs, tablet repairs, and PC repairs, all backed with a six month warranty. Founded in 2015 in Coffs Harbour and now with over sixteen outlets located all over Australia, our primary driving factors remain the same: people and phones. 

Whether it’s to get a few more years out of your trusted iPhone, to fix one up to sell, or to repurpose an old one as a gift, repairing a smartphone might just be easier and cheaper than you think. However, if you’re in the market for a new smartphone, SOS Phone Repairs also stocks a wide variety of refurbished handsets at a fraction of the cost of a brand new one. While each has been carefully restored to perform at their best, all refurbished smartphones purchased through SOS also come with a twelve month warranty, and can be purchased at any of our sixteen store locations.  

If you are on the hunt for a quote, diagnostic, or even just some good old fashioned, friendly advice, please don’t hesitate to get in touch or give us a call today at SOS Phone Repairs. 

When it comes to understanding the many options for smart speakers, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. As such, we’ve taken the time to do a comparison for you.

By definition, smart speakers are an internet-enabled speaker that is controlled by spoken commands, and is capable of streaming audio content, relaying information, communicating with other devices and more. At their best, these products can make a big difference in the day to day lives of their owners, and can resemble somewhat of a virtual assistant.

While 16% of all Americans now own a smart speaker, a whopping 85% comparatively own a smartphone. As the very first smart speaker only debuted in 2014 (Amazon’s Alexa system), the concept of them is still relatively new to the global market. However, as we increasingly rely on technology to help us navigate our day to day lives, the in-built artificial intelligence of smart speakers are becoming more valuable in the average home. If you’re toying with the idea of having one in your abode, it can be difficult to understand the differences between the growing pool of products. 

Comparing The Big Brands Of Smart Speakers 

The simple fact of the matter is that as our homes become smarter, the demand for a reliable digital assistant is also steadily increasing. This is something that the world’s biggest tech producers are all too aware of, with many releasing their own forms of smart speakers, each with a unique virtual assistant residing in them. If you’re unsure of how they differ, we’ve compiled a quick comparison of some of the world’s most popular smart speakers. 

Google – The most comprehensive and humanlike in its capabilities and responses, Google smart speakers like Google Nest work well in homes with existing Google products such as Pixel phones and Chromecast line. A highlight of Google-based smart speakers is that they allow you to send content to Google Chromecast with just your voice. It’s also very good at controlling first and third-party smart devices over a Wi-Fi network, though responses are typically considered to be a little slower than Alexa and Siri. 

Amazon – Regarded as the godfather of smart speakers, the Amazon Echo was actually the first of it’s kind to hit the market way back in 2014. As the only major virtual assistant that isn’t tied to an existing product or software line like Android or iOS, this arguably allows Amazon a little more freedom to partner with whoever it wants, which is why Alexa is more commonly found in external or third party products. Alexa has more robust third-party support, with thousands of ‘skills’ that can be enabled to perform specific tasks. 

Apple – While no conversation about the world’s biggest tech giants would ever be complete without mentioning Apple, in comparison to Google and Amazon, the brand only produces one form of smart speaker: the Apple Homepod. While not considered to be as ‘smart’ as Amazon or Google produced smart speakers, it does come widely recommended for homeowners who also have a variety of Apple products, particularly AppleTV. What it does have is great rave reviews about it’s sound quality, and is sure to get further tweaks in the years to come. 

Technology certainly is a wonderful thing, there’s simply no doubt about it. However, in order for it to stay relevant, beneficial and glitch free, the dark side of it is the constant updates that the humble consumer is required to keep up with. Thankfully, if you’re having issues with a device and are out of options, the good news is that help is only a phone call away. 

Talk Technology With The Professionals 

SOS Phone Repairs are specialists in high-quality, cost-effective phone repairs, tablet repairs, and PC repairs, all backed with a six month warranty. Founded in 2015 in Coffs Harbour and now with over sixteen outlets located all over Australia, our primary driving factors remain the same: people and phones. 

Whether it’s to get a few more years out of your trusted iPhone, to fix one up to sell, or to repurpose an old one as a gift, repairing a smartphone might just be easier and cheaper than you think. However, if you’re in the market for a new smartphone, SOS Phone Repairs also stocks a wide variety of refurbished handsets at a fraction of the cost of a brand new one. While each has been carefully restored to perform at their best, all refurbished smartphones purchased through SOS also come with a twelve month warranty, and can be purchased at any of our sixteen store locations.  

If you are on the hunt for a quote, diagnostic, or even just some good old fashioned, friendly advice, please don’t hesitate to get in touch or give us a call today at SOS Phone Repairs. 

With the brand new Google Pixel 6 and Google Pixel 6 Pro now available in Australia, are these new generations of smart phones really worthy of all the hype?

Like the Nexus line before it, Google’s very own line of Pixel smartphones represent the company’s vision for the optimal Android user experience. Needless to say, the Pixel is built to advertise Android at its very best. In turn, Android is becoming increasingly designed to create the best possible Pixel.

While regarded as one of the most innovative technology giants in the world today, Google isn’t generally recognised for its offerings in regards to the already crowded smartphone market place. With this arena already dominated by the likes of Apple and Samsung, what could the new Google Pixel 6 and Google Pixel 6 Pro products have to offer that the competition already doesn’t?

Reviewing The Latest Google Pixel 6 

Many smartphone users are unaware that it was the big wigs at Google that actually developed the Android operating system that is now widely used in many forms of technology. In the early days of Android, its competitors and users alike bemoaned the complexity of the platform. It lacked the elegant simplicity and accessibility of Apple’s ground-breaking iOS system, so Google worked hard to catch up and possibly even surpass its rival. In truth, the two platforms have far more in common today than features that divide them. 

As such, the latest Google Pixel 6 and Google Pixel 6 Pro embody this perhaps more than any other device offered by the tech giant. It’s predecessor, the Google Pixel 5, was arguably the smartphone for users that hate using smartphones, as it still provided technology and innovation without sacrificing reliability and usability. It might not have featured all of the bells and whistles of more expensive competitors, but the image quality from the rear dual camera unit, water resistance, wireless charging and attractive price tag still made it a worthy alternative. With the arrival of the Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro to Australian shores, that’s set to change. 

With the Google Pixel 6 coming in at $999 AUD and the Google Pixel 6 Pro slightly more expensive at $1,299 AUD, both models are marketed as “the best of Google, built around you”. It would seem that the company has finally started to lean into what sets it apart from the rest of the pack, as opposed to trying to replicate other popular smartphone models, particularly considering the inclusion of it’s very own chip system dubbed Tensor. According to Google, the AI based chip system has provided the tech giant with the means to power forward with new and exciting ways of harnessing technology. 

“With Google Tensor, we’re unlocking amazing new experiences that require state of the art ML –  including motion mode, face unblur, speech enhancement mode for videos and applying HDRnet to videos. Google Tensor allows us to push the limits of helpfulness in a smartphone, taking it from a one-size-fits-all piece of hardware into a device that’s intelligent enough to respect and accommodate the different ways we use our phones.”

The Google Pixel 6’s display is a 6.4-inch FHD+ panel, with support for up to 90Hz refresh rates. Unlike the pricier but larger Google Pixel 6 Pro, you don’t get the full dynamic refresh rate support for as low as 10Hz to preserve battery life, but users do get that faster refresh rate for smoother scrolling and gameplay enhancements in supported titles.

Apart from the new chip systems, one of the most exciting inclusions in the new generation of Pixels is what can only be referred to as the camera shelf. There’s a 50MP primary wide sensor joined by a 12MP ultrawide sensor. Google’s claim here is that you’ll get substantially improved low light performance from the Pixel 6 compared to previous generations, and that’s a big claim considering just how good prior Pixel generations have been in this specific area. However, the thoughtful inclusion of the shelf provides somewhere for your hands to grip when taking photos, reducing your odds of the dreaded screen smash that can arise from accidentally dropping your phone. 

So is shelling out for the new Google Pixel 6 or Google Pixel 6 Pro worth it? Well, that all depends on your own individual circumstances, but if you’re new to the smart phone arena or perhaps want all the perks without spending any more than you have to, then investing in a Pixel may be your winner. However, before you start shopping, it’s always worth consulting with the tech professionals to ensure that you select a gadget that’s right for you – but where do you find them?

Talk Tech With The Professionals 

SOS Phone Repairs are specialists in high-quality, cost-effective phone repairs, tablet repairs, and PC repairs, all backed with a six month warranty. Founded in 2015 in Coffs Harbour and now with over sixteen outlets located all over Australia, our primary driving factors remain the same: people and phones. 

Whether it’s to get a few more years out of your trusted iPhone, to fix one up to sell, or to repurpose an old one as a gift, repairing a smartphone might just be easier and cheaper than you think. However, if you’re in the market for a new smartphone, SOS Phone Repairs also stocks a wide variety of refurbished handsets at a fraction of the cost of a brand new one. 

While each has been carefully restored to perform at their best, all refurbished smartphones purchased through SOS also come with a twelve month warranty, and can be purchased at any of our sixteen store locations. Even if you’re not on the hunt for a new phone, it’s always worth bringing your existing one in for a free health check to ensure it’s performing at its best.

If you are on the hunt for a quote, diagnostic, or even just some good old fashioned, friendly advice, please don’t hesitate to get in touch or give us a call today at SOS Phone Repairs.