I am not a big reader. I tend to read two books at Christmas, then that’s it for the year. My wife, on the other hand, can read up to two books a week. (She does not sleep much). Most of her reading happens in bed, and over the years, we have gone from booklights to reading on her smartphone.
When the Bigme B6 Colour eReader arrived for testing, I knew I needed her opinion. The B6 has a colour e-ink six-inch display and runs Android 14. The display emits zero blue light to support sleep and mimics the look of paper at 300PPI when viewing black-and-white content. With an 8-core processor, 4GB of memory, and 64GB of storage, the unit is quite responsive.
This is not a full-colour display, but it does reproduce colours at 150DPI, which is quite usable in most circumstances. Running Android also means that, in addition to reader apps, you can install any Android-compatible app.
Image: Bigme.
The built-in storage supports up to 40,000 books, and if you need additional storage, a microSD card can be added, expanding capacity to up to 1TB.
Even with the much bigger screen, the eReader weighs about the same as a smartphone: 176 grams or 255 grams with its case. It is also super thin at under 7mm. This all means it is easy to hold for many hours of reading enjoyment. It comes preloaded with common reading apps, so you can download a book from Amazon or your local library. The eReader connects to Wi-Fi to allow downloads and updates.
Image: Angus Jones.
The quirks of an Android-based eReader
Although this is an Android device, it does not exactly mimic a smartphone, which threw my wife off to start with. Case in point: the brightness can be adjusted to 36 different levels, with a button that automatically switches to an adjustable preset for night and day viewing. It took her a while to find this setting, so we had a lighthouse in bed for a while.
Our biggest complaint is that a warning message keeps appearing, indicating that the WeChat (app) version on the device is not secure, and Google has blocked access, including the ability to upgrade. We don’t use WeChat, but the constant message is annoying. I am sure Bigme will resolve this.
If audiobooks are more your thing, stereo speakers will also facilitate playback. A translator is included, and you can also dictate to your reader. You can view photos but not take them, but know they will look like a newspaper photo, not what you see on your smartphone. Those of you who are super lazy can even ask AI to summarise a book for you, but that is not really the point.
Box contents. Image: Angus Jones.
The Bigme B6 comes with a USB-C charging cable, and you can expect between six and 12 hours of use per charge, depending on brightness and whether Wi-Fi is enabled. In standby mode, an image or the time and calendar is displayed on the screen. We selected time, but the time does not change from the last time the unit was activated, which serves no purpose.
So is the Bigme any good? My wife does not tolerate my gadgets for very long, and there have been some complaints as mentioned above, but the proof is that she is still using this eReader. The Bigme B6 is available from Amazon for around $270 in Australia, including a protective case.
GadgetGuy occasionally uses affiliate links and may receive a small commission from purchased products.
Forcing social media and adult content sites to block virtual private network (VPN) access, in an effort to stop underage Australians sneaking in by hiding their location, is the likely next step in the eSafety commissioner’s fight to keep children safe online.
Australia’s eSafety commissioner Julie Inman Grant has controversially led the way globally when it comes to tackling the harms that the seedy side of the internet can cause to children.
Today’s eSafety initiatives differ from the so-called ‘clean feed’ content filtering plan, dubbed “The Great Firewall of Australia”, that was proposed almost 20 years ago but later abandoned.
Instead of forcing local internet providers to block access to unseemly websites for all Australians, now the government is forcing unseemly websites to enforce age verification to keep out young Australians.
So far, this latest effort to keep children safe online seems to have had limited impact. The eSafety Commissioner’s own research found that only a third of young children with social media accounts stopped using them when the ban came into place.
Meanwhile, the underage porn block triggered a rush to install VPN software, which can mask your true location. Rather than children looking to sneak into porn sites, this rush was more likely triggered by adults concerned about the privacy risks of handing over photo ID to these sites.
Why might Australia launch a social media VPN crackdown?
VPNs are perfectly legal services designed to provide an encrypted online connection for extra security, but they can also help you hide your true location.
It’s little surprise that a range of VPN services leapt up into the top 20 most popular iPhone apps in the days following Australia’s underage porn block. Visiting via a VPN server in a country which doesn’t demand age verification allows Australians to mask their location and sneak into these sites.
There are plenty of free VPN services, but as they say, if a service is free, then you are the product. While free VPNs might promise privacy, some free services sell your personal data, or even expose you to security vulnerabilities.
Now, just as with previous attempts to crack down on what Australians can see and do online, attention is turning to whether social media and porn restrictions need to be accompanied by a VPN crackdown.
How would a VPN crackdown work?
Rather than blocking access to legitimate VPN services, used by many Australians to stay safe online, an alternative is to force VPN providers to also introduce mandatory age verification for Australians. In theory, this would stop local youngsters using VPNs to get around the social media and porn blocks.
After following the example of Australia’s social media ban, the UK government considered mandatory age verification for VPN providers earlier this year but quickly abandoned the idea due to its wider impact on privacy and security.
Instead, the UK has put the onus on blocked websites and services to also block efforts to sneak in using tools like VPNs.
Likewise, rather than banning VPNs for everyone, Australia is considering demanding that social media and adult content sites block users trying to connect via a VPN.
The Australian eSafety Commissioner expects tech platforms and service providers to actively block workarounds that allow users to bypass age-restricted content and social media bans, according to documents obtained by The Guardian under Freedom of Information laws.
The documents state, “service providers must take reasonable steps to prevent workarounds like VPNs so eSafety will look at this when considering compliance with codes”.
How is an Australian social media VPN crackdown likely to play out?
Of course, this all sounds very familiar if you remember the geo-blocking wars last decade, back when Australians were locked out of early foreign streaming video services like Netflix and Hulu.
Many Australians took to ‘geo-dodging’, using tools like VPNs to get around geo-blocking and sneak into services like Netflix. Rather than connecting to any foreign VPN server just so they didn’t seem to be in Australia, Australians would connect to VPN servers in the US so they would appear to be Americans.
It soon became a cat-and-mouse game, as the streaming services tried to block VPN access in the same way that social media and porn sites might be expected to block it.
As geo-blocking and VPN detection gradually became more effective, geo-dodgers became more cunning. To assist them, some global VPN services quietly configured one of their more remote US servers to not look like a VPN server in the eyes of Netflix.
Australia has a long history with piracy and VPN usage. Image: Chris Robert on Unsplash
So while Netflix might be easily blocking people connecting via a VPN service’s major servers in New York and Los Angeles, a little trial and error would often get you into Netflix via a far-flung VPN server in the likes of Alaska.
A new VPN crackdown will likely play out the same way, with workarounds for those prepared to persist and some VPN providers happy to quietly help. Meanwhile, everyone involved can declare the crackdown a success because no Australians appeared to make it through.
Once again, a social media VPN crackdown isn’t the answer to enforcing Australia’s eSafety age restrictions, but it will allow politicians to declare the job done.
The Coros Pace 4 is one of my favourite recent GPS sports watches; I think it’s one of the best-value wearables on the market. It’s one of those smartwatches that seem to deliver so much more than you would expect for its price tag. It’s super lightweight and slim, with a simple design that makes it functional without overcomplicating things.
But the initial Coros Pace 4 range only had two colour options: black or white. Since then, we have seen a few additions, including an aluminium version that comes in Cloud White or Black Crystal, as well as a black and gold version made as part of a partnership with long-distance runner Jakob Ingebrigtsen.
Now, the Coros Pace 4 comes in two new vibrant colours: Ultraviolet and Neon Yellow. Looking over these new colours, the thing I like most is the monochromatic approach they took. Coros hasn’t mixed a bunch of colour together or tried to be too clever with it. They have picked their colours and kept them consistent over the whole watch. I love this approach as sometimes colour combinations can be divisive.
Coros Pace 4 – Neon Yellow. Images: Coros.
The new look also pairs well with the Pace 4’s beautiful 1.2-inch AMOLED display. This display is one of the smartwatch’s highlights, bringing all of its functionality together on a bright and clear screen.
Coros Pace 4 – Ultraviolet. Images: Coros.
These new colour options are in fact the aluminium version of the Pace 4, meaning they have an aluminium alloy bezel. This is the more premium spec for this watch, so that’s another bonus. Coming in at $499 in Australia, these new colours are available now on the Coros website.
Screenless health trackers are taking off, and now Garmin is getting involved, having recently launched the Cirqa Smart Band, the brand’s first screenless wearable.
Conventional smartwatches are still extremely popular, with analytics firm IDC estimating nearly 160 million unit shipments throughout 2026. However, there’s a growing trend towards devices without displays, given that we spend so much time distracted by screens already. Alternatives include smart rings from brands like Oura and Samsung, while Whoop is well-known for its screenless health trackers.
Sharing more of an aesthetic with Whoop’s wearables, the $299 Garmin Cirqa Smart Band only has a single button. It’s used to select different activities to track, like walking and running, which the wearable can also detect automatically. Keeping the form factor thin means there is no built-in GPS, so it needs to be connected to a phone for precise location tracking.
Image: Garmin.
Within the Cirqa are sensors that track metrics like heart rate, steps, and sleep quality. Using a fabric band, it’s meant to be worn all day, with up to 10 days of battery life. Garmin says you can wear it on your wrist or higher up on your arm, depending on what’s more comfortable.
Without a screen, you can’t review activity data at a glance. Instead, the Cirqa syncs with the Garmin Connect app, where you can review your metrics more intentionally, without the distractions of a watch pinging with notifications throughout the day.
As part of the Australian launch of the Cirqa Smart Band, Garmin is hosting a mini wellness retreat dubbed the “Recharge Lounge”. Taking place at Sage Space in Sydney on 12 and 13 August, Aussies can book in to enjoy a relaxation session, have some healthy snacks, and try the Cirqa, with giveaways and discounts up for grabs.
Google’s Gemini AI technology has taken another step forward in Australia, with the local launch of ‘Ask Maps’, a feature that lets users interact with Google Maps conversationally.
Making interactions with technology feel more natural and conversational has been one of the main goals of tech companies’ generative AI explorations so far. Instead of using specific language, clicking or tapping in certain sequences, the aim is to make interacting feel like chatting with another person.
Ask Maps is Google’s latest attempt at this approach, infusing more of its Gemini platform with the widely used maps app. It’s also another string to the company’s ‘Personal Intelligence’ bow, which fetches information from multiple Google apps (like Gmail and Photos) to answer queries.
Image: Google.
Rolling out in Australia now in English to begin with, Ask Maps lets users type or speak questions within Google Maps. An example from Google involved asking for ferry timetables with views of the Sydney Opera House. The app then showed a list of ferry times, including recent delays and stop closures.
Tapping into Personal Intelligence, Ask Maps can also factor in details from other apps, like flight bookings in your calendar or Gmail inbox. Based on another example from Google, the feature suggests what time to leave, and any recommendations of what to see and do beforehand.
Akin to other chatbot-like interfaces, similar to Apple’s Siri AI update, Ask Maps also saves previous interactions for future reference.
Australia’s launch of the feature coincides with the US gaining a food-ordering feature in Google Maps. While that specific feature isn’t available locally yet, it’s an indication of what’s on the horizon.
As Ask Maps rolls out in Australia, it’ll be available to try as an option below the search bar.
Long a name synonymous with noise-cancelling headphones, Bose has launched the 2nd Gen version of its core QuietComfort range, tweaking the design, adding more listening modes, and improving ANC performance.
Bose described the new model as getting a “refreshed industrial design”, along with the brand’s ‘TrueSpatial’ technology. At $549.95 in Australia, the new QuietComfort is the same RRP as the previous model (some colours are currently discounted to $299.95 at the time of writing.
Wireless by design, the QuietComfort 2nd Gen also supports wired USB-C playback, enabling lossless quality 24-bit audio. Naturally, you’d need to find music in a lossless format to truly benefit, which is available through some streaming services, like Apple Music and Spotify.
Bose has also introduced three ‘Immersive Audio’ modes to the new headphones. ‘Still Mode’ keeps the audio in a fixed position, while ‘Motion Mode’ follows the wearer’s head movement. There’s also a ‘Cinema Mode’ designed for movies, TV shows, and podcasts, which is meant to produce a wider soundstage while retaining dialogue clarity.
Image: Bose.
True to the name of the headphones, there are also improvements to what Bose calls its ‘QuietControl’ noise cancellation technology. Using a six-microphone system, the QuietComfort 2nd Gen blocks out external noise, with tweaks to compensate for gaps in the ear cup seal caused by wearing glasses or hats. Bose also claims that the ANC better adjusts to loud noises when in Aware Mode, bringing down the sound more smoothly.
With the redesign, the Bose QuietComfort 2nd Gen has more oval-shaped ear cups compared to its predecessor, part of several subtle changes aimed at improving the headphones’ fit. It also uses a soft leatherette material in the headband. Importantly for physical control lovers, each earcup has buttons.
Bose puts the QuietComfort 2nd Gen’s battery life at around 24 hours in normal listening. That number drops to 18 hours when using the Immersive Audio features.
Bose QuietComfort 2nd Gen release date
Pre-orders for Bose’s new headphones open on 7 August for MyBose members, and 8 August everywhere else. They’ll launch on 13 August in a choice of five colours: Black or White Smoke, plus the limited-edition Eucalyptus Green, Dewdrop Mint, and Rosewood Mauve.
My wife’s iPhone 13 Pro recently travelled with us from home here in Canberra, to London, then Rome, then Assisi, then to Rome again, and then to… Algeria.
That last part of the journey was not with us.
In May, we returned from a few days in Assisi, Italy, to Rome. I’d never been to Italy before, so it was all new to me. I’d certainly recommend Assisi, especially in early May when the Spring Festival, Calendimaggio, is happening. We caught the train back to Rome, and then boarded the 64 bus to get to Campo de’ Fiori, the plaza normally populated by open-air markets, where Giordano Bruno was burned at the stake for heresy in 1600, and where our digs were for the next week or so.
My wife was navigating on her phone, trying to make sure we got off at the right stop on Corso Vittorio Emanuele II. The bus was incredibly crowded. It stopped. We got off. And her iPhone 13 Pro was gone.
Who did it? There was a suspicious-looking character with a full garbage bag on the bus. Or was it the charming pair of English and Australian men with whom we engaged in conversation, and who got off at the same stop, even helping us with our luggage, but who then disappeared very quickly indeed?
So there we were, somewhere near our destination. But all the details of our trip, and the tickets for tours we’d bought, were on her phone. Not mine. My wife remembered enough about where we were heading for me to find it on my phone. There we went, got greeted by the owner and received a briefing on the unit. All the while, I was jumping up and down internally to do something about the phone. My wife usually just lets the phone lock itself when she’s finished using it, so there was a good chance it was unlocked when it went into her pocket on the bus, distracted as she was by conversation and navigation. Which means, a good chance it was unlocked when it was lifted by whoever.
Which means, ready access to Apple Pay.
Tracking the lost device with Find My iPhone
Once we were free, we got to work. I whipped out the MacBook Air I had brought with me, and we went to Find My iPhone. I use Chrome on all my devices and sometimes access my wife’s accounts to do various things for her, so this worked! Chrome entered her logon details. We saw that her phone had gone back to somewhere near the train station on which we’d boarded the bus. I checked our bank accounts, and there had been no unexpected activity on them. After a while, it seemed clear that the phone had been locked, either by my wife or by the thief or by a simple time-out.
That was a relief!
We considered things briefly. The chances of recovering the phone? Less than one per cent. We weren’t going to chase criminals through a foreign city. So we decided to make sure things were secure. When you click on your device in iCloud’s ‘Find Devices’ and select one of them, in addition to it showing you a map with the location, it gives you three options: ‘Play Sound’, ‘Lost iPhone’ or ‘Erase’.
Image: Apple.
We mourned the phone for a few seconds, then clicked ‘Erase’. Damage limitation was now the objective. That popped up a two-factor authentication screen on the computer, asking us to enter the “verification code” which “has been sent to your devices”. By “your” it meant my wife’s. My wife’s only other Apple device was an ancient iPad Mini which was sitting in a drawer under our TV 16,000 kilometres away. Presumably the erase code had also been sent to the stolen iPhone.
Fortunately, there was a link under the authentication message: “Cannot access your devices?” We clicked on that and were delivered a message which cautioned us it might take a while to verify my wife’s identity if we proceeded. We clicked ‘Continue Anyway’, and the next step was for Apple to send an authentication code to my wife’s email address. We clicked ‘Send Code’, and then I went to Gmail on Chrome. I’ve accessed my wife’s email plenty of times. Hey, we’ve been married for more than forty years! We trust each other with this stuff!
But I’d never accessed her Gmail account using the MacBook Air. I normally used my Windows desktop computer. Gmail was suspicious. It wanted two-factor authentication … sending a code to my wife’s iPhone 13 Pro. Which of course was in the hands of some thief somewhere in Rome. It offered no other options.
I guess they call that a Catch-22.
The Italian job
We gave up on the ‘Erase’ strategy and selected ‘Lost iPhone’ instead. That did not require the same level of authentication. It simply made sure the phone was locked, and allowed us to place a message on the lock screen about who to contact should it be found. That we did. The next day, Find My iPhone had lost contact with it.
Reasonably confident that my wife’s information, while not erased, would be pretty secure, we did a little research. Apparently, phones with decent security, like iPhones, which are stolen, are usually sent somewhere to be broken down for spare parts to be resold. So, no identity theft, no attempts to empty our bank account.
It was a pain, but we reported the theft at Stazione CC Roma-Piazza Farnese to a nice policewoman, and when we got home, travel insurance covered some of the cost. It turned out that my Samsung Galaxy did have access to my wife’s email account. I must have previously used it at some point for that purpose. So we were able to retrieve all the necessary information about the rest of our trip, and we must have got the ‘Erase’ option started. Since by this time Apple had lost contact with the phone, the actual erasure would have to await someone switching it on. Even when switched off, the phone would have continued casting its presence for 24 hours, but then it would have disappeared.
The theft was on 11 May.
Then, the other day, 2 August, my wife received an email from Apple: “Judy’s iPhone was found near Bir Khadem Bir Algeria at 23:28 CET”. The time stamp was 8:28 am our time.
Screenshot: Stephen Dawson.
It took two and a half months for the stolen phone to make its way from Rome to Algeria, Birkhadem, a couple of kilometres from the centre of the capital, Algiers. It is around there that it will presumably be broken down for parts. I imagine that the people in Algeria powered it up briefly to make sure that the screen was in good nick. And then switched it off again, because it hasn’t appeared again since then.
Screenshot: Stephen Dawson.
As I proofread this a couple of days later, Find My Phone has lost the location (it only holds it for 24 hours), and shows “Erase Pending…” If it does come online again, the Erase will likely start. I doubt that it will ever come online again.
Screenshot: Image: Stephen Dawson.
What I learned about Find My iPhone
It turns out that Find My iPhone does in fact work! But it also turns out that if you’re away from your Apple devices, taking the strongest security actions in the event of theft may be very difficult.
I’d suggest that you take another Apple device with you, one that’s properly logged into your account and has accessed your emails and anything else you might be using (such as a venue booking app). You can pick up a second-hand iPhone SE Gen 2 for less than $200. Set it up and then you can leave it in your luggage, powered off. It won’t need a SIM. Just connect it to Wi-Fi in case of emergency. And then you’ll at least be able to protect your personal information by wiping your stolen phone, so long as it hasn’t been switched off.
