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5 kitchen gadgets you need (and 5 you actually don’t)

If you’re trying to save valuable cupboard or bench space in your kitchen, knowing which items you need and which you don’t can be a big help. 5 gadgets that are actually useful Slow cooker: add your ingredients in the morning and come home to a delicious home cooked meal. In a pinch though you can just use a casserole dish with a lid, in a low oven (but unlike a slow cooker you can’t really leave the house when it’s on). Vegetable peeler: you can get some great peelers now that make peeling a breeze with very little wastage. Non-stick pans: life is too short for soaking and scrubbing regular pans each night. Garlic press: no need to fiddle about peeling garlic cloves when you can just throw it in the press. Plus you can avoid having smelly garlic fingers. Stick blender: takes up minimal room and is great for blending soups, smoothies or batters. 5 items you could get rid of Knife block: save your valuable bench space and keep your knives in a drawer instead. Meat mallet: these are used infrequently and their bulky size means they aren’t exactly drawer-friendly. Use a small, heavy based saucepan instead. Sandwich press: these bulky items can take up a whole cupboard. Pop your sandwich in a frying pan and place a heavy pot on top. Icing bag: these are tough to clean and most likely get used once or twice per year. Just fill a zip lock bag with icing or cream and snip the corner off for a disposable icing bag. Avocado or egg slicer: these one-trick ponies just clutter up your utensil drawer without making life that much easier. Just use a sharp knife. Image credits: Getty Images

Home & Garden

7 apps and gadgets for your pet

If you have a cat or a dog, you probably already own all the basics: food bowl, leash, litter box, collar. However, there are plenty of apps and gadgets available that can make caring for your pet a lot easier — here are our favourites. 1. Smart feeders If you work long hours and your pet needs a meal during the day, it can be a tricky predicament to manage. If you put food out when you leave, your furry friend is likely to eat it immediately and be starving by the time you return in the evening. A smart feeder can solve that problem. Many allow you to set specific portion controls, have the feeder release food into your pet's bowl at a specified time, and make a noise to attract their attention. Others even have smartphone integration, allowing you to manually change feeding times on the go, and a remote camera so you can keep an eye on your pet while you’re away. Price: ~$100-$250 2. PetCoach app Sometimes it’s difficult to tell whether you need to take your pet to the vet to be checked out — especially if it’s a long trip in remote areas. While it’s always better to be safe than sorry, the PetCoach app provides a useful first step in making that decision. The app allows you to chat with professional veterinarians in real time — for free. If you have any niggling questions, you can easily get them cleared up, and all answers are publicly available, so you may find other people have had the same problem with their pet. The app also allows you to send photos to give the vet a better idea of any potential medical problems. Price: Free 3. Pet trackers While some pets are adept at wandering the neighbourhood and finding their way home, others (especially small dogs) are more likely to get lost if they get out. To save the heartbreak of a lost pet, a pet tracker such as the Petrek3G GPS Pet Tracker can make your runaway much easier to find. The linked iPet app gives you a satellite view and a live location of your pet, so you can track them down, scoop them up, and bring them home! Price: $279 4. Smart pet door If you have a pet that likes to go walkabout, having a cat flap is a must. Unfortunately, it also creates a security risk for your home and can allow unwanted visitors, such as possums, inside. SureFlap solves this problem with its range of smart pet doors that only open when they detect your pet’s microchip approaching. The linked app also allows you to remotely lock and unlock the door from anywhere, and keeps track of when your pet is using the door. Price: $149-249 5. Self-cleaning litter box Cleaning up after your furry friend isn’t the best part of pet ownership. Even if they are toilet trained, you’re still going to have to pick up and deal with your loveable fluffball’s less loveable droppings. A litter box is a must-have for any cat owner, but if you want to make things a little more sanitary, a self-cleaning option might be for you. These boxes automatically scoop your cat’s waste into a bin that you can easily dispose of without having to get your hands dirty. Price: ~$100-$200 6. Automatic ball thrower If you’re a little less mobile than you’d like to be and struggle to keep up with your dog’s energy, an automatic ball thrower could help you spend quality time with them, without exhausting yourself. The iFetch range of automatic ball launchers simply require you to drop the ball and they will shoot it out to a pre-programmable distance (options vary depending on the model). If your dog is well trained enough to drop the ball into the machine, it’s an easy way to keep their exercise levels up. Price: $90-$400 7. 11pets app If your pet has a medical condition that requires regular treatment or medication, caring for them can become a cause for concern — especially when you have to leave them with a pet sitter. The 11pets mobile app allows you to keep all your pet’s medical records in one place, and manage their medications by logging the required doses and setting reminders. You can also track important appointments such as vaccinations, deworming, and grooming. The data in the app also means you can easily provide any relevant information to a vet if you have to take your pet in. Price: Free Do you have any recommendations for pet-related apps or gadgets? Written by Jamie Feggans. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/articles/lifestyle/pets/7-apps-and-gadgets-for-your-pet.aspx">Wyza.com.au.</a>

Technology

The $6 Kmart gadget that is replacing brooms, mops and vacuum cleaners

Kmart customers are praising a new $6 gadget they say has replaced their mop, broom and vacuum. The cleaning tool is a rubber broom with a squeegee blade that they claim is the next “must have item” from the popular discount store. One customer shared a photo to Facebook group Kmart mums, showing off the results of the rubber broom. <img width="500" height="608" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7819471/1_500x608.jpg" alt="1 (163)"/> “Finally got my hands on the Rubber Broom with Squeegee and the results speak for itself! This is our theatre room carpet which is very thick. This broom has picked up more than our vacuum and the carpet looks amazing!! Would recommend it a thousand times over,” she wrote. The mum didn’t appear to be the only happy customer in the group. “Wait until you use it to scrub the bathroom floor... it is quicker and better than any mop,” one woman said. “It is great for cleaning the outside of your windows too, wet, soapy clean with the bristled then squeegee off with a blade.” The brooms are so popular, many customers claimed “it took ages” to get their hands on one as they are often sold out. The gadget also won over pet owners, with some impressed with how well it removed unsightly animal hairs. “It is amazing if you have pets,” one woman said. Another said the broom remarkably removes “everything”, from hair to crumbs and dirt. Some questioned the effectiveness of the broom, before fans swiftly chimed in. Do you own this product? Tell us your thoughts on it in the comments below.

News

Getting your head around confusing gadget names

Some tech companies have a knack for creating confusing and complicated names for their products. Television manufacturers are the worst with their model names consisting of seemingly random letters and numbers. Each television manufacturer uses a slightly different methodology for its names. About the only number you'll recognise in the model name is the screen size, such as 40, 49, 55 or 65. The rest are internal codes to designate a year or feature. To make it harder, some TVs have different models numbers for different countries which makes it tricky when trying to find reviews online. This naming convention also makes shopping for a television difficult as it's hard to remember the models you like when comparing different products or asking shop staff for advice. However, smartphones, laptops and cameras can also have baffling names. Canon has used three different naming conventions for the same camera. The Canon EOS 450D was called the EOS Rebel XSi in North America and EOS Kiss X2 in Japan. Laptops are nearly as bad as televisions with unassuming model names. I can understand internally companies need detailed model numbers, but they should have a simple, marketable name for consumers. Research shows consumers identify with names rather than numbers. This has been shown with car models, which can have eclectic names that are designed to lure buyers. However, names didn't help Ausus. It released the both the FonePad (a 7-inch tablet that also doubles as a phone) and the PadFone (a 5-inch smartphone that becomes a tablet). Neither model sold well. Even Apple, which is proud of its simplicity, gets criticised. The iPad was mocked when its name was released and everyone is still slightly confused why Apple skipped the iPhone 7s and went straight to iPhone 8 instead of following its traditional naming pattern. Samsung has also had a run of odd product names for its phones such as the Samsung Rant and the overly long Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch. While all of these companies probably have their reasons for creating confusing names, it makes it hard for consumers. Navigating all the jargon, technical acronyms and specifications are tricky enough, we don't need complex names too. Do you think gadgets are too confusingly named? Written by Blayne Slabbert. Republished with permission of <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank">Stuff.co.nz.</a>

Technology

Can gadgets really make us safer?

You can take steps to improve the odds of not becoming a burglary statistic. It's as easy as installing some security gadgets. They'll not only make your home a less attractive target but can help police nab burglars too. Alarms The most obvious security gadget is an alarm, which appeals because they can scare off burglars. Many come with sirens that will deliver an ear-shredding 120 decibels. Few burglars will hang around once a siren starts. MorePork features easy installation and a wireless design. It works with Android and Apple smartphones so it's easy to keep an eye on your home while you're away. For an extra fee, it can get monitored so security guards will pop over if the alarm goes off. It's expandable too. As well as the sensors bundled with the starter kit, you can buy cameras, smart lights, video doorbells and locks. By default, the starter pack comes with three door/window sensors, a camera and a passive infra-red image sensor. Getting set up was easy and I got it right the first time. There are some well thought out features too. You can have several alarm codes which are useful for house sitters. The alarm will notify you if you leave a door or window open. It'll even tell you if you've left home without arming the alarm. You can arm or disarm it from almost anywhere with the mobile app. Locks I've lost count of the number of times I've locked myself out of my home. A smart lock was what I needed. The Yale Assure has a touch screen for entering pin numbers and the smartphone app can unlock the door too. Installation requires holes get drilled in the door to fit the lock. That said, Yale provide comprehensive instructions plus a template to help things along. Reading the manual is a must. As keys are no longer needed, it's almost impossible to lock yourself out. Using the Yale app, digital keys can get sent to house sitters (they can get deactivated later-on). The Yale Assure also locks when the door closes so there's no forgetting to lock the door. Video doorbells Video doorbells can notify you if anyone is at your door. You can also chat with visitors before opening the door. The Ring video doorbell uses batteries so wiring is minimal. This makes it a doddle to install. Keeping its batteries charged is easy thanks to an optional solar charger. It has high-definition video and night vision, so you can get a clear picture of whoever is at the door, be it day or night. An optional Ring Chime also means you can hear it if your smartphone isn't to hand. Motion tracking means the Ring records when it detects movement outside the door. Recorded footage can get stored online for an optional fee. The Yale Look Door Viewer fits into an existing door peephole which means it's easy to install. Being a smart version of an old school peep hole, it'll notify you on your smartphone if someone is at the door. It'll also record video onto a SD card. It also acts as an intercom. This means that you can chat with visitors before opening the door. Instead of peeking through a tiny peep hole, the Look comes with a colour display. Seeing who's on the other side was easy. Cameras Few burglaries get solved. This is because the police are often left with little evidence. Most burglars wear gloves so there are no fingerprints. This is where cameras come in. A camera image provides police with invaluable evidence to help catch burglars. Arlo cameras are wireless, use rechargeable batteries and are simple to install. Add an optional solar charger and it becomes almost maintenance free. The cameras are designed for outdoor use and record video in high definition. Video footage is also stored online for up to seven days at no charge. A 130-degree field of view means one camera covers a large area. The night vision illuminates an 8-metre area and footage yields usable mugshots. It's not only cameras either. The Arlo base station can emit a piercing 100-decibel siren to drive burglars away. The Netatmo Welcome is a stylish looking home security camera. It resembles a designer aluminium-clad pepper grinder. It's also a capable indoor camera. The mobile app (Apple and Android) is easy to use and has face recognition. This means you can log who is entering and leaving. Video gets recorded onto a bundled microSD card, but only photos get uploaded to a cloud service. Video quality is very good, and night vision also yielded useable images. Would you consider technology like this? Written by Pat Pilcher. Republished with permission of <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank">Stuff.co.nz</a>.

Technology

Why there are so many ‘gremlins’ in your gadgets

There's a motto in Silicon Valley: fail fast, fail often. It's supposed to motivate entrepreneurs to keep trying new things and to learn from their failures. The trouble is, the motto also describes many of Silicon Valley's final products. Who among you hasn't experienced one of the following glitches in the past few months: you can't connect to a Wifi network that worked just fine last time; your Skype call cuts out unexpectedly; you search for but can't find a recent Facebook post; you install a Windows update and encounter at least one mysterious error; your new device won't connect to bluetooth; you fail to complete a website transaction because your Java software isn't up-to-date; your TV streaming app crashes in the middle of a show. Perhaps we should blame all these technology woes on one of Roald Dahl's literary inventions: gremlins. In Dahl's debut book in 1943, these cartoon creatures were responsible for mechanical troubles and mishaps in airplanes. But if gremlins are at fault, they must now be in the employ of the world's largest software companies. Many software glitches are the result of what developers call "cruft." This is when a piece of software becomes so bloated with code, often because of unnecessary new features, that it makes the core product unstable. For me, Apple's iTunes is the most egregious example of software that has accumulated cruft over time. iTunes was released in January, 2001. Since then, it's gone from a simple music player to a complicated app with multiple functions. In the words of Wikipedia, iTunes is now "a sophisticated multimedia content manager, hardware synchronisation manager and e-commerce platform." Which is exactly the problem. Because iTunes tries to do so many different things now, many bugs have crept into the music player over time. The worst was a couple of years ago, when Apple introduced a Spotify streaming competitor called Apple Music. When I enabled a trial of the new feature, I discovered to my dismay that it immediately corrupted my entire iTunes music collection. To this day, iTunes has lingering frustrations – especially with its core music management function. Sometimes when I import a new CD or buy a digital album, the cover art is missing or the album gets splintered into different artists, or something else minor but annoying. Ironically, Apple just <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__support.apple.com_en-2Dus_HT208075&d=DwMFaQ&c=N9aEhCy8U0rJkO1xCZf7rgM9fohfR5qe_N93viZd7O8&r=Mn258sZVFlxoc-UyRb8UtsH7oR7t34rVz7Qay3dRIVU&m=mX_2i8zOjRZiwifpcL4p4eJemX-pdqwb4Uh7nZKO1KM&s=jnChWO0rgSHQoQNNT08Jcg488yXNein_4lzJEjsQbBI&e=" target="_blank">announced</a> that it is removing a major feature from iTunes: the App Store will now only be available on iOS devices. But I had to laugh at Apple's claim that "the new iTunes focuses on music, movies, TV shows, podcasts, and audiobooks." Oh, is that all? It's not just Apple or Microsoft or Oracle (the current owner of Java) that are afflicted by gremlins. These pesky creatures are rife in all the major tech players of today. Take Google, for instance. Of all companies, you'd expect Google to have efficient software systems. But just try running more than one Gmail account to see how often you encounter frustrating tech issues. Or try syncing Google Calendar with a desktop app, like Microsoft Outlook or Apple Calendar. It's never as seamless as it ought to be. This may come as a shock, but sometimes tech failures are deliberate on the part of big companies. Whenever I search for an old post on my Facebook profile, I have trouble finding it. Sometimes I never find it. That's because Facebook has deliberately limited its search functionality. Why would it do that? Because Facebook wants me to stay focused on the present – or "real-time" as they call it in the industry. Other than the "On This Day" nostalgia prompts, which are only there because they're apt to generate new shares, Facebook doesn't want you messing around in your personal archive. It wants you to repeatedly refresh your news feed, because that presents more advertising opportunities. It also prompts you to discover (and share) new content. Twitter has made a different kind of design choice to keep you refreshing your main feed. While the search functionality in Twitter is adequate, the company has purposefully neglected certain filtering mechanisms that would make for a better user experience. Lists should have been a wonderful feature of Twitter, because they enable you to categorise people and topics. I have a Twitter list for the kiwi technology people I follow, for example. And while I can still put lists into Tweetdeck, the company's desktop app, the act of creating and maintaining those lists has been made needlessly difficult. The fact is, Twitter made a business decision to de-emphasise lists and make them hard to manage. As with Facebook, the reason is simply that Twitter wants to keep you looped into the full firehose news feed. That way it keeps you refreshing, so you see more of its ads. It's a sad state of affairs. Because until big companies address their cruft problems and make better design choices for their users, I'm afraid that gremlins will be around to bug us for a long time yet. Let us know your favourite, or most frustrating, gremlin story in the comments. Written by Richard MacManus. Republished with permission of <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank">Stuff.co.nz</a>.

Technology

10 home gadgets for extremely lazy people

Since the beginning of time, people have been coming up with clever inventions to make our everyday lives easier, simpler and more enjoyable. But comfort and necessity aren’t the only inspirations behind exciting new inventions, laziness is also a major contributing factor. Here are our top 10 gadgets for the ultimate couch potato. While some of these ideas are downright laughable, others, we hate to admit, are pure genius. 1. The clap on, clap off light Is there anything more annoying than tucking yourself into bed, only to realise that you forgot to turn off the lights? Solve this ongoing (first world) problem with the help of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Clapper-Sound-Activated-Switch-Each/dp/B0000CGKLR" target="_blank">The Clapper</a>. 2. Robotic vacuum cleaners Who can forget <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLt5rBfNucc" target="_blank">this viral video</a> of a cat wearing a shark costume whilst riding on a Roomba? Not only did it make us want to adopt that cat, but it also introduced us to the wonders of a <a href="https://auto-robot.com.au/irobot-roomba-vacuums/?gclid=CjwKEAjwkPS6BRD2ioKR7K245jASJAD1ZqHOi-SQkiXWlBWMD1Ee8zptSXckaW7IL1h6HBk31D30ShoCOHvw_wcB" target="_blank">robotic vacuum cleaner</a>. 3. Hair dryer stand Hate wasting time blow drying your hair? Got better things to do with your life? Let your fragile arms rest with a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/HAIR-DRYER-STYLING-STAND-HOLDER/dp/B0002VQ0WO?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0" target="_blank">hair dryer</a> stand that will hold your hot wind blowing machine for you. 4. Twirling spaghetti fork Linguini, fettuccine, spaghetti, oh my! If you’re a pasta lover, then you need this <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hog-Wild-Twirling-Spaghetti-Fork/dp/B001HXD4U2?ie=UTF8&dpID=41OMrlSONDL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=0W6W30JJ87QR2V1VP8VK&ref_=pd_sim_79_11" target="_blank">twirling spaghetti fork</a> in your life. It features a button that twirls your pasta perfectly for you. 5. Jug pourer The <a href="http://www.rollnpour.com/" target="_blank">Roll ‘n Pour</a> gadget takes the worry out of manually lifting and pouring liquids from jugs. Because let’s face it, heavy lifting isn’t for everyone. 6. The Popinator Say hello to the ‘<a href="http://www.popcornindiana.com/popinator-project" target="_blank">Popinator</a>‘, the world’s first fully automated, voice-activated popcorn shooter. Triggered by the word “pop”, it shoots popcorn straight into your mouth. Heaven. 7. Self-stirring mug Sick of stirring your own tea or coffee? This <a href="https://www.fasttech.com/product/1058000-stainless-pain-lazy-self-stirring-mug" target="_blank">self-stirring mug</a> can stir your favourite hot beverage for you. Powered by two AAA batteries, simply press a button and sip away. 8. Automatic lawnmower There’s no need to leave the comfort of your living room to have a lawn that looks great, just let an <a href="http://robot-lawn-mowers-review.toptenreviews.com/" target="_blank">automatic lawnmower</a> do all the hard work for you. 9. Mailbox sentry Find yourself desperately waiting for a certain package to arrive, but can’t be bothered taking another ride in the lift to check the post? Save yourself an unnecessary trip with <a href="http://www.japantrendshop.com/thanko-mailbox-sentry-p-866.html" target="_blank">this sentry gadget</a> that will alert you when something gets placed in your mailbox. 10. Prism glasses No one should have to be forced to sit upright while reading or watching TV, right? Well, <a href="https://www.medesign.co.uk/MEDesign-Bedglasses" target="_blank">these prism glasses</a> will let you do such activities while remaining flat on your back. Heck yes. Written by Pauline Morrissey. First appeared on <a href="http://www.domain.com.au/" target="_blank">Domain.com.au.</a> Related links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/07/5-very-dirty-things-in-bedrooms-people-arent-aware-of/">5 very dirty things in bedrooms people aren’t aware of</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/07/5-foods-you-should-not-store-in-the-fridge/">5 foods you shouldn’t store in the fridge</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/07/10-surprising-uses-for-dental-floss/">10 surprising uses for dental floss</a>

Home & Garden

12 travel gadgets you must take on every holiday

Make life on the road that much easier with these must-have travel gadgets that are worth the money. 1. Universal adaptor The modern world is replete with gadgets – and they all need charging. A universal adaptor will allow you to plug into a socket wherever you are and ensure that all your tech is ready to go. 2. Portable charger But what if you can’t find a socket? That’s where you need a portable charger. These handy gadgets will have USB sockets that can charge everything from phones to laptops, kindles or tablets. One portable charger will have enough juice to recharge multiple items. 3. Noise-cancelling headphones Block out that crying baby in the row behind you, or the loud television in the room next door, with a set if noise-cancelling headphones. You can listen to your own music or just relax in blissful silence. You’ll quickly come to think of these as the best travel investment you’ve ever made. 4. Good camera Yes, your smartphone will take good photos, but they still can’t compete with a high-quality camera. And you don’t need to spend a fortune or carry around a huge case full of equipment. Pocket size, reasonably priced digital cameras are easy to use and will take professional-quality pics. 5. Portable hard drive All those pictures you’re taking are going to fill up your camera or phone memory. Travelling with a portable hard drive means you can quickly and easily download the pics and keep them safe with you. Then there’s plenty of room to take more! 6. Waterproof phone case Your smartphone serves so many functions – communication device, internet access, camera, GPS and more. So you really don’t want to damage it on the road. A good quality waterproof case with keep it safe for all those boat trips, ferry transfers and beach excursions. 7. Swiss Army knife An oldie but a goodie. Never underestimate how many uses you will find for a knife, pair of scissors or corkscrew. The new breed of Swiss Army Knife even come with high tech goodies like USB sticks. 8. Tablet Travel often involves long journeys or a lot of time spent waiting around. A tablet provides hours of entertainment with internet access, movies, music, books, newspapers, magazines and games. It can also be used to store photos or do on-the-ground research when you arrive in a new place. 9. Sterilising pen Worried about the quality of your water? Nifty sterilising pens use ultraviolet light to quickly kill bacteria in any water to make it safe to drink. 10. Luggage tracker Lost luggage is every traveller’s nightmare, but new digital trackers allow you to monitor exactly where your luggage is via your smartphone. Small buttons attach to your luggage and then link to your phone via and app – so you can make sure it’s not in Hawaii while you’re in Hungary. 11. Global translator This gadget will make sure you’re never stuck trying to decipher a menu or ask for directions to the bathroom again. The more basic systems get you to type in words and it will translate them while the fancier models can recognise speech and even help you with pronunciation. 12. RFID wallet Sadly, thieves no longer need to physically take your wallet to steal your money. Digital technology means they can scan your pocket or bag from a few metres away and download all your credit card details. An RFID wallet will block these digital signals and keep your data safe. Do you have any of these travel gadgets? Would you consider getting them now? Let us know in the comments below. Related links: <a href="/travel/travel-tips/2016/08/why-you-should-never-throw-out-boarding-passes/"> Why you must never throw out your boarding pass</a> <a href="/travel/travel-tips/2016/08/tips-to-help-you-survive-a-long-haul-flight/">16 tips to help you survive a long-haul flight</a> <a href="/travel/travel-tips/2016/08/secret-way-to-raise-the-armrest-on-your-aisle-seat/"> There is a secret way to raise the armrest on your aisle seat</a>

Travel Tips

The most hilarious Bond gadgets ever

If you’ve seen any of the Bond films, you know each movie has no shortage of awesome gadgets, like the hidden camera ring, high-tech cell phone, and deadly briefcase. But even the most suave action character in the world isn’t immune to embarrassingly cheesy effects. Watch the video above to see some of the most hilarious James Bond gadgets of all time.

Movies

5 ways to upgrade your gadgets for free

It seems there’s a new gadget on the market every other week, but keeping up with the latest technology doesn’t have to be expensive. There are ways to upgrade and update your current devices to make them faster, better and “like new” again. Here are five ways to upgrade your devices without paying a cent. 1. Get a faster camera We’re used to updating software on our smartphones or tablets but few people ever think to update their camera’s software. Most digital camera makers will have current software versions on their website, which can usually fix minor faults and boost camera speed Check out the websites for <a href="https://www.canon.co.nz/en-NZ/Business/Support" target="_blank">Canon</a>, <a href="http://downloadcenter.nikonimglib.com/en/index.html" target="_blank">Nikon</a>, <a href="http://www.sony.co.nz/section/support" target="_blank">Sony</a>, <a href="http://www.olympus.co.nz/Document/Detail/12/Service-Support" target="_blank">Olympus</a> and <a href="http://av.jpn.support.panasonic.com/support/global/cs/dsc/download/index.html" target="_blank">Panasonic</a> to see if there are any upgrades for your camera. 2. Upgrade computer’s operating system It’s always a good idea to upgrade your computer’s operating system as the update will often fix bugs and problems, give you access to new and improved features, and help keep your computer running smoothly. If your computer has the update system turned on automatically, next time your computer asks you should click yes. If not, manually check if there are updates to your computer system. For PC, visit the <a href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-nz/windows/windows-update" target="_blank">Microsoft website here</a><a href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-au/windows/windows-update" target="_blank">.</a> For Mac, open the Mac App store on your computer and click the tab for updates, or <a href="http://www.apple.com/nz/osx/how-to-upgrade/" target="_blank">visit their website here.</a> 3. Extend your web browser For desktop users, an easy way to make your web browser more useful for you is to install extensions. Like apps on phones, there’s a plethora of extensions that cater to every need you can think of – such as shortcuts to save articles to read offline later or to share articles on various social media. For a full list of the available extensions, click here for <a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/category/extensions" target="_blank">Google Chrome</a>, <a href="https://extensions.apple.com/" target="_blank">Safari</a> and <a href="https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/extensions/" target="_blank">Firefox</a>. 4. Get rid of double-ups Most smartphones have duplicate contacts and photos on them. Cleaning your phone will free up space and stop any potential confusion. These free apps can find the duplicates and streamline your smartphone. Apple users can use <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/nz/app/cleanup-duplicate-contacts/id513670485?mt=8" target="_blank">CleanUp Duplicates</a>, which will analyse a contact book, find duplicates, and merge them, or <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/nz/app/space-saver-to-slim-videos/id955061863?mt=8" target="_blank">Space Saver</a> which finds double-up photos and deletes them. Andorid users can use apps like <a href="http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.torcellite.whatsappduplicatemediaremover" target="_blank">Duplicate Media Remover</a> that looks for duplicate videos, photos and audio, and <a href="http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.grishinapp.duplicatephotoscleaner" target="_blank">DupPhoto Cleaner</a> that looks for duplicate photos. 5. Automate your computer or phone’s tasks Gadgets can be trained to do your every bidding with the help of automation apps. These apps let you create rules that your phone follows automatically. The most popular automatic app is IFTTT that stands for If This Then That. <a href="https://ifttt.com/" target="_blank">Find more information on their website here.</a>

Technology

8 of the best travel gadgets for your next trip

Stay safe, stay connected and stay comfortable with these cool travel gadgets on the market now. Celluon Epic Projection Keyboard It’s great to be able to stay in touch while travelling, but typing emails on a smartphone or tablet keyboard can be pretty difficult. This virtual laser keyboard projects a full size QWERTY keyboard onto any flat surface and uses optical recognition technology to transmit your finger taps onto your device (though it does take a bit of practice). It also looks really, really cool. Hummingbird First Class Seat Cushion Never be stuck on an uncomfortable bus seat or stadium bench again. This self-inflating cushion has pressure-mapped support that moulds to your sitting bones. It also folds up neatly for packing. SteriPEN Traveller UV Water Purifier Worried about the quality of the drinking water? One 90-second zap with the SteriPEN will purify one-litre of water without using any harmful chemicals. Belle Hop Travel Door Alarm This neat little sensor alarm connects to any hotel lock and emits a 91-decibel alarm if the door is opened. It gives great peace of mind if you’re travelling solo or staying in a questionable part of the world. Kensington Combination Portable Notebook Lock Keep your laptop safe while working on it in public with this combination lock and chain. You can anchor it to any desk, table or fixed surface and the cable locks into most computers via the security slot. MeNoSpeak Language Companion Travelling to a country where you don’t speak the language can be daunting, but these little books will make things a bit easier. They have a simple layout with pictures and large text in both languages, so when you need to find the train station or order the pancakes at breakfast, you can just point and smile. You can also download the books as an app. Brookstone Comfort Grip Luggage Identifiers These brightly coloured neoprene handles have two benefits – they make your generic black suitcase that much easier to find on a crowded baggage trolley and they also make for easier and more comfortable lifting and pulling. IntoCircuit Power Castle Sometimes you can’t find a power outlet in the middle of your travels, but you don’t want to miss that all-important photo or not be able to make a phone call when you need to. This feather light, USB power pack can add hours or days of extra life to all your gadgets.

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8 of the best travel gadgets for your next trip