NBN Co and Amazon’s planned low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite-powered internet service is still a while away, with the latest update indicating a 2027 launch.
Now, the rollout is set to start “around mid-2027”, according to an online update attributed to Gavin Williams, NBN Co’s Chief Development Officer, Regional and Remote. Accompanying the announcement were more details about the NBN LEO service.
As the rollout commences, NBN’s new satellite service “will be progressively available to homes and businesses across the NBN satellite footprint”. To begin with, eligible Australians will be able to access LEO internet “through participating Australian internet providers”.
NBN Co also confirmed wholesale speed options of either 50Mbps downloads and 10Mbps uploads, or 100Mbps/20Mbps. Although those speeds aren’t higher than NBN’s existing satellite internet technology, the soon-to-be-retired Sky Muster array encounters notable speed drops during peak usage times, according to the ACCC’s Measuring Broadband Australia report.
Sky Muster relies on geostationary (GEO) satellites, which orbit roughly 36,000km above Earth. LEO satellites operate much closer, with Amazon’s technology set to orbit at around 600 km. With less distance to travel, NBN’s upcoming service should improve latency and overall internet speeds for those reliant on satellite connectivity.
By transitioning to the new satellite technology, NBN aims to compete more strongly alongside Starlink for rural Australians. ACCC’s reporting measured Starlink’s average download speed at 230.4Mbps on its premium $150 monthly Residential Max plan.
For now, NBN Co plans to start testing the LEO service “later this year”, followed by customer trials before the intended mid-2027 launch.
Last year, Husqvarna celebrated 30 years of robotic lawn mowers. The technology has changed a lot since then, and over the last two years we have seen drone and robotic-vacuum tech migrate to robot lawn mowers. Chinese brands have led the way with these new innovations, but Husqvarna has now responded. I tested the Husqvarna Automower 308V to see how it performs in what I believe will be a very popular year for robotic lawn mowers.
Husqvarna Automower 308V features
The Husqvarna Automower 308V is a wire-free robotic mower for lawns up to 800 m² with a camera for obstacle avoidance. Its cutting width is 22cm, and the cutting range is 20 to 50 mm, achieved with three replaceable razor blades. In the box, you will find the mower charging station and six spare cutting razor blades.
Image: Angus Jones.
By wire-free, I mean the mower uses GPS satellites to navigate your garden and doesn’t require a boundary wire to stop it from going into a garden bed. Note that the automower does need a clear view of the sky. The benefit is that setup takes less than 30 minutes, rather than spending hours burying cables in your lawn. Husqvarna quotes the mower’s accuracy as within 5cm.
According to realestate.com.au, the median land size of Australian properties was 645 m² in 2025. Meanwhile, ABS data from 2021 showed that the average land size of new homes in capital cities was 432 m².
Of course, once you put a house, a driveway, and gardens on that block, the room for lawn shrinks quickly. For example, my back lawn is 150 m² on an 800 m² block. The 308V can mow up to 800 m², but this would take up to two days and would require many trips back to the recharging station to replenish the battery.
For my lawn, the 308V completes the job on one charge. The mower can create patterns in your lawn, including striped, checkerboard, or triangle patterns, but if you want an invisible finish, the mower’s capacity drops to 500 m².
The Husqvarna can be programmed to mow multiple areas. If an accessible path exists, the mower will drive itself between locations. In my case, to mow my front lawn, I must carry the mower, as a brick path connecting the two is too steep and slippery. The area is small, so a full charge is more than enough, and when it’s finished, the mower waits patiently to be returned to the rear garden base station to charge. If you have a bigger area, the mower will run till the battery goes flat.
A new built-in camera from Husqvarna incorporates AI technology to analyse objects in its path and steer around them, protecting the object as well as the mower itself. I found this feature works well with oranges that drop from my fruit tree; it avoids them, while other brands I have tested run over them and make a mess.
These same smarts also let the mower detect longer grass, switching into a spiral pattern to ensure an even cut.
For those worried about someone stealing their Husqvarna Automower, there are a number of security features, including a geofence, which is an imaginary boundary that the mower will not work outside of and will emit a siren when breached. If internet coverage is available, the app sends a message, and a 4-digit PIN also adds security. Yes, someone could take the mower, but it becomes useless to them.
For ultimate control, the Automower supports smart home integration, which lets you issue voice commands via Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa to pause, start, or park your mower.
Last time, I trialled a boundary wire and GPS Automower, and a Husqvarna dealer installed them. This time, I’m intentionally doing it myself. My first observation was that they recommended I not set up the new 308V mower in my back garden due to the number of trees. To work correctly, the mower needs good GPS coverage. Obstructions like buildings and trees interfere with GPS signals. I am pleased to report that the mower is working fine in the back garden.
When I tested the GPS model last year, a separate GPS reference base station was also installed. This improves GPS accuracy, allowing centimetre-level positioning of the mower. Husqvarna has cleverly installed a GPS base station at each of its dealers, eliminating the need for individual houses to install a reference station. You must, however, check your location on their website to ensure you are close enough to a dealer to get the precision it needs. If you are too far away, you can still install a reference station, which costs an additional $499.
Assuming the Husqvarna cloud (GPS corrections available from a Husqvarna dealer) is available for your location, your mower will need Wi-Fi coverage wherever it is working. In my case, I have an Amazon eero Outdoor 7, which extends the Wi-Fi into my entire back garden. Your indoor router likely won’t have enough range unless it is up against a window facing the area. You don’t need Wi-Fi if you have the reference station. Another alternative is to purchase the cellular network Connect Kit ($359), which will also connect you to the internet.
Manual control to set mowing boundary. Image: Angus Jones.
To set up the robot lawn mower, you will need a flat area for the charging station with access to mains power. The charging station uses plastic screw-in pegs to secure it to the ground. Then use the Husqvarna app to set up an account and sync with your mower. Next, use your smartphone to manually drive the mower around the perimeter of the grassed area you want to cut. You add points around your garden until you get back to the starting point. In theory, you are now done, and other than whipper snipping around the edges, the mower will do the rest.
Adjusting the mowed area is simpler than I have found with other brands, which require you to manually drive a section of the area again. With Husqvarna, you essentially move a waypoint in the app map by a certain number of centimetres to adjust the mowing area.
You can also set up no-go zones for areas you don’t want your mower to enter. For example, if you have a garden bed inside your mowed area. Don’t worry about the clothesline; the mower’s avoidance system will automatically account for it.
Beyond setup, the app lets you defer mowing if rain is expected, schedule how often the grass is mowed, and adjust seasonally to increase or decrease mowing frequency based on expected growth. Robot mowers are designed to run multiple times a week, only removing the tip of the grass growth, with clippings falling to the ground unseen and composting. Over-the-air software upgrades will also keep your mower up to date.
Rain Guard feature. Image: Angus Jones.
You can also have a Husqvarna dealer install the robot for you, which will unlock a 45-day money-back guarantee. This costs extra money and is unnecessary for a confident smartphone user.
I do find small sticks that fall from my trees to be problematic for all robot mowers. The mower shaves them, likely blunting the blades, and you have to pick them up manually. The old Victa would simply suck these up in the catcher. To clean the mower, a simple low-pressure hose down will do the trick.
I would not recommend scheduling this mower to mow at night, as its obstacle avoidance will be compromised.
So, does 30 years of robot mower experience count for anything? If I look out at the grass from our second-story window and compare the lawn cut by the Husqvarna to the lawn cut by a different robot mower a few weeks ago, I feel the lawn looks better. Maybe it’s my imagination, but who cares, as it looks better than me mowing it, and I save 30 minutes not having to mow it every time.
Who is the Husqvarna Automower 308V for?
At $3,500, the Husqvarna Automower 308V is one of the more expensive mowers in its class. You are, however, buying from a brand that has an established dealer network in Australia and 30 years of knowledge built into its products from a reputable brand.
The 308V is for people who want the latest technology to keep their lawn looking great with minimal effort, knowing they can install it themselves but get help easily if they need it.
I believe that 2026 will be the year of robot lawn mowers, and we will see explosive growth in new brands as the weather warms. Not all these brands will survive, but I am sure that Husqvarna will be around for the life of their current mowers.
Husqvarna Automower 308V
Made for decent-sized lawns, the Husqvarna Automower 308V is a smart robot that reliably avoids common backyard obstacles.
Features
8
Value for money
6
Performance
9
Ease of use
9
Design
8
Positives
Excellent obstacle avoidance
Easy to use app allows seasonal changes in mowing frequency
Can carry to a separate second area without a charging station
Advertised with the tagline “surprise and shine”, Apple’s event invitation features a translucent company logo with a lens flare in the middle. Surrounding it is what appears to be the faint outline of a camera lens.
Previous reports claimed that this September will mark a departure from Apple’s usual launch schedule. Usually, the tech giant announces all of its core iPhones at the same event. However, there’s speculation that the only iPhones to feature at this event will be the foldable and the latest 18 Pro range, pushing the remaining handsets to early next year.
It’ll also be the first major Apple event under incoming CEO John Ternus’ watch, with Tim Cook handing over the keys on 1 September. All eyes will be on Ternus, who comes from a hardware engineering background, and his approach to the latest product launch.
In addition to the reported iPhones, Apple will also likely announce the Apple Watch Series 12 range. Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman also reported on Apple’s plans to launch the AirPods 5, potentially as part of the September event.
That was quick. Less than a day after reports surfaced about a new Mac Mini, Apple has officially announced a 2026 edition of its pint-sized desktop computer.
With M6 and M5 Pro models available, the new Mac Mini starts at $1,449 in Australia, $500 more than the 2024 M4 model’s starting price. With the M6 chip, Apple’s computer still begins with 16GB of unified memory and a 256GB SSD as a base configuration.
Compared to the M4 model, the M6 variant gets a 12-core CPU and GPU (up from 10 cores), and a faster 170GB/s peak memory bandwidth. It still has the same number of ports (now with a 2.5Gbps Ethernet port), but the wireless connectivity gets a boost, with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 supported.
With a strong focus on AI, Apple claims the M6 Mac Mini produces up to four times faster AI performance than the M4 model. Other claims include twice as fast storage and graphics, plus 40 per cent faster CPU performance.
As for the M5 Pro Mac Mini, which starts at $2,699 (another $500 increase versus the M4 Pro model), it ships with up to an 18-core CPU (up from 14 cores) and a 20-core GPU. Similarly, the memory bandwidth increases to 307GB/s, up from the M4 Pro’s 273GB/s speeds. By default, the M5 Pro Mac Mini includes 24GB of unified memory and a 512GB SSD, with options to get up to 64GB and 8TB, respectively.
Billed as an “always-on desktop for AI agents”, the M5 Pro model reportedly processes LM Studio Prompts four times faster than the M4 Pro Mac Mini.
Pre-orders for the M6 and M5 Pro Mac Mini computers start today, launching on 22 September. Joining them are new Mac Studio models, Apple’s more powerful desktop PC alternative.
Aldi is back with another pair of affordable Ecovacs robot cleaners, something the supermarket chain has become well-known for. This time, it’s the Deebot Neo 4.0 robot vacuum and the Deebot Winbot Mini window cleaner.
A successor to last year’s Neo 3.0 Omni, the $279 Deebot Neo 4.0 steps up the suction power to 11,000Pa, up from 9,000Pa. It’s also a big step up from the popular Deebot Neo 2.0 (5,000Pa), which Aldi sold on and off over a couple of years.
This specific model doesn’t come with an auto-empty station; instead, it uses a charging dock that the robot returns to between cleaning runs. So, you’ll need to empty the robot’s 350mL dustbin manually each time, which previous Deebot Neo owners would be used to.
Image: Ecovacs.
Aside from the more powerful suction, the Deebot Neo 4.0’s other main upgrade is the addition of Ecovacs’ “ZeroTangle 2.0” technology. By using a V-shaped brush, it’s meant to prevent hair tangles, resulting in less clogging and less hands-on time.
Joining the new Deebot is the $249 Winbot Neo Mini, a returning Aldi Special Buys item that cleans windows automatically. Handy for hard-to-reach glass, it sticks to windows and cleans them using a built-in spray nozzle to wash them for you.
Image: Ecovacs.
Part of Aldi’s eclectic middle aisle Special Buys goods, the latest Ecovacs range goes on sale on Saturday 5 September. There are online listings for both robots, but they’ll only be sold in stores.
Based on the reaction to past Ecovacs sales at Aldi, expect to see a crowd when the doors open, as keen shoppers try to get a robot cleaner before they sell out.
Kicking off Gamescom in Germany overnight, ROG confirmed an October launch for its OLED-laden Xbox Ally X20 gaming handheld, along with local pricing details.
As revealed in June, the ROG Xbox Ally X20 is a limited edition version of the Xbox Ally X, made as part of Asus’ gaming brand’s 20th anniversary celebrations. Most of its internals are the same — an AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme chipset, 24GB of LPDDR5X memory, and a 1TB SSD — with the most obvious changes on the outside.
Replacing the IPS screen of the original model is a slightly larger 7.4-inch OLED display. It shares the same 120Hz VRR specs, with better colours, contrast, and a higher 1,400-nit peak brightness as the main benefits.
ROG also equipped the Xbox Ally X20 with new TMR joysticks and a swivelling D-pad that can swap between four- and eight-directional inputs depending on the game. Instead of the black casing used by the standard model, the X20 sports a translucent look.
Image: ROG.
ROG will sell its limited edition handheld gaming PC in two versions: as a standalone $2,499 device, and a $4,499 bundle that includes a pair of ROG XREAL R1 Edition 20 AR glasses, a dbrand Killswitch case, and a Pelican case. ROG’s AR glasses aim to replicate a personal cinema-like experience, using a built-in 240Hz micro-OLED display to produce the equivalent of up to a 171-inch screen.
Compared to the Xbox Ally X, the X20 is $700 more expensive, or $900 based on the original launch price. That price discrepancy is likely due to a combination of memory shortage costs and pricier OLED technology. With its nearest competitor, the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+, starting at $2,749, ROG faces some strong competition.
Designed to bring out the best in modern TVs, Dolby Vision is a licensed high dynamic range (HDR) technology that, among other things, helps bring out an image’s contrast and colours. One of HDR’s core features is its ability to display bright highlights and deep shadows on compatible TVs without blowing out the rest of the picture.
Dolby Vision 2 builds on this foundation, adding more content-specific optimisations like ‘Authentic Motion’ and ‘Precision Black’. According to Chris Mayer, Hisense National Training Manager, the technology is meant to save you from drowning in settings menus.
“Dolby Vision 2 delivers brighter, clearer and more lifelike picture, so you always see exactly what you’re supposed to see,” said Mayer. “It works automatically in the background to adjust the TV’s picture to suit what you’re watching, so content looks its best without having to change any settings.”
Mayer added that Dolby Vision 2 steps up “from primarily dynamic HDR into a more intelligent, content and environment-aware picture system”. In its original announcement, Dolby claimed that the updated HDR format uses metadata provided by the creator to adjust a TV’s image automatically based on several factors, including ambient lighting and the specific type of content shown.
Which Hisense TVs are compatible with Dolby Vision 2?
At the moment, several Australian Hisense TVs support Dolby Vision 2. This includes the brand’s new RGB Mini LED range, like the UR8S, and some of its ‘ULED’ TVs. TCL has also publicly backed Dolby Vision 2, but hasn’t confirmed when it’ll arrive on its TVs.
Here are the Australian Hisense TVs currently compatible with Dolby Vision 2:
Just to add another variable to the equation, each of these TVs supports what’s called ‘Dolby Vision 2 Max’. As explained by Dolby, some features are exclusive to the Max version of its new HDR format. Dolby Vision 2 Max requires more processing power, thus unlocking Authentic Motion, the ambient-light detecting ‘Light Sense 2’ feature, and a range of pro-level settings.
Image: Hisense.
Set to appear on other TVs later, Dolby Vision 2 (sans ‘Max’) still uses the latest image engine powering the HDR technology. It also supports ‘Content Intelligence’, the feature that uses a content’s metadata to adjust the picture scene-by-scene in a way that respects the creator’s intent.
Where is the Dolby Vision 2 content?
Here’s the kicker: Australians don’t have much access to Dolby Vision 2-native content. Overseas, Peacock, Canal+, and iQIYI have committed to streaming Dolby Vision 2 content, but no major local streamers are on board yet.
Fortunately, Dolby’s latest HDR format is backwards-compatible. Even if a piece of media doesn’t yet have Dolby Vision 2 metadata, existing content can still benefit.
“As Dolby Vision 2 continues to roll out, customers can expect to see more compatible movies, TV shows, live sports and other content becoming available in the coming months,” said Mayer. “Existing Dolby Vision titles can also benefit from Dolby Vision 2’s upgraded image processing on compatible TVs.”
As reported by TechRadar, much of the process for updating existing Dolby Vision content can be automated, making it easier for creators to get on board. However, features like Precision Black and Authentic Motion — the latter of which reduces judder without inducing the dreaded ‘soap opera effect’ — require a manual touch.
Image: Chris Button.
“That feature is so sensitive that we don’t generate that metadata, it has to be manually authored,” Dolby’s Jonas Klittmark told TechRadar.
Although sports and video games are also compatible, movies and TV shows are the main beneficiaries of Dolby Vision 2. Major streaming platforms, like Netflix, Disney Plus, and Prime Video, already support Dolby’s earlier HDR format. In other words, if you have a Dolby Vision 2-compatible TV, you can start putting the upgraded image engine to work.
For gamers, it’s a different story. Both the PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2 use the open-source HDR10 format rather than Dolby Vision. PC is much the same, with minimal Dolby Vision support. Xbox Series X and Series S, on the other hand, are Dolby Vision-compatible across games and media playback. So, unless you’re an Xbox player, there isn’t much native support for Dolby’s HDR standard.
Dolby Vision 2 in action
In a nice quirk of timing, I’m currently reviewing the Hisense U7SAU, one of the models that received the Dolby Vision 2 update earlier this month. When booting up Dolby Vision-compatible content, the Dolby Vision 2 Max badge appears on the screen as the HDR mode kicks in.
Although I didn’t have access to any content that uses Authentic Motion or Precision Black, the settings menu showed a simplified approach to HDR. On the Hisense U7SAU, Dolby Vision 2 comes with four modes: Standard, Pro Reference, Custom, and Game. When playing the built-in demo footage, Game was inaccessible, but I could poke around the other modes.
Image: Chris Button.
When set to Standard, the customisation exists on a simple sliding scale. Dubbed ‘Picture Intensity’, you can set a value between minus five (the lowest) and five (the highest). To my eye, it looked like Picture Intensity adjusted the picture’s brightness, contrast, and colour saturation levels. By default, Standard looked a bit too vivid, but dialling the slider down produced an image I was happier with.
Image: Chris Button.Comparing the peak Picture Intensity (left) to the lowest setting (right). Images: Chris Button.
Conversely, Pro Reference looked the best before any tweaks. It’s the closest thing to ‘Filmmaker Mode’, setting the colour temperature to ‘Warm 1’ and presenting a more natural-looking picture. Interestingly, Pro Reference doesn’t let you change the colour temperature, while Standard has no such restrictions.
Image: Chris Button.
Also, instead of Picture Intensity, Pro Reference gives you two separate sliders. One is for peak luminance, the other for minimum luminance. Otherwise, it’s less modular than Standard, likely to preserve the cinema-like reproduction. As its name suggests, Custom is more of an open buffet, but the philosophy behind Dolby Vision 2 is to simplify HDR, so I can’t imagine many people touching it.
It’s early days, and I’m keen to test Dolby Vision 2 with more content, but it’s a refreshingly simple way to customise HDR visuals. Now all it needs is broader support.
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