Roblox adds Kids accounts, experts fear for pressure on parents

Roblox will launch two new account types for children in June as the globally popular online platform attempts to improve safety for younger users.

Following Roblox’s debut of age verification technology in Australia last year, a requirement for users to access in-game chat features, the Californian company is expanding its age-based approach to online safety. The two new account types, Roblox Kids and Roblox Select, affect what children can access on the user-generated content platform.

“What we want to do on Roblox is balance this freedom of content creation with ensuring that our youngest users only have access to age-appropriate content,” said Matt Kaufman, Chief Safety Officer at Roblox.

According to Roblox, roughly 60 per cent of Roblox’s daily users have completed age checks in countries where it was first introduced, including Australia. Under the new account system, these users would be automatically assigned one of three account types.

Roblox’s announcement is broadly seen as a positive move, but experts worry that parents will have to do the heavy lifting instead of Roblox taking responsibility for age-inappropriate content.

What are Roblox Kids and Roblox Select accounts?

Roblox Kids, automatically assigned to users between the ages of 5 and 8, disables all in-game chat by default. Users with a Roblox Kids account can only access games with a ‘Mild’ content maturity label or lower, unless a parent grants access to other games via parental controls, which are now supported for users aged up to 15.

Users with verified ages between 9 and 15 will be assigned Roblox Select accounts. These users can access games designated with maturity content labels up to ‘Moderate’, while the default in-game communication settings are used.

Both account types feature a distinct design, aimed at letting parents know that children are accessing the intended experience. Once a user turns 16, their account then becomes a full Roblox account.

Image: Roblox.

Alongside the new account types, Roblox is rolling out a new verification method for game creators and developers. In addition to the maturity labels, games will only be made available to Roblox Kids and Roblox Select accounts if the creator completes a three-step verification process.

This includes verifying an ID, enabling two-factor authentication, and having an active US$4.99 monthly Roblox Plus subscription. Newly published games will be available to users 16 and older at first, so Roblox can analyse how players interact with the content and determine suitability for younger users.

Free-form drawing games and social hangout content won’t be available to Roblox Kids and Roblox Select account holders by default. Later in the year, Roblox will update its age rating system, moving away from maturity labels to localised ratings using the International Age Rating Coalition framework. The Australian Classification Board is covered by this, meaning that Roblox experiences will soon have age ratings that correspond with the country’s existing video game classifications.

Experts voice concerns over pressure on parents

Roblox’s actions to shore up children’s safety on its platform have been viewed favourably by online safety and video game experts, but there’s growing concern about the pressure that Roblox’s methods place on parents.

RMIT University’s Lisa Given, a Distinguished Professor of Information Sciences, described Roblox’s recent announcements as “definitely positive moves”, while acknowledging that keeping up will be “a real challenge for many parents”.

“What we’re seeing is that, at the same time that a company like Roblox is trying to build in new features, and with safety as a concern, there’s still a strong role for parents to really understand how the platform works, understand limitations of things like age assurance,” Professor Given said. “And then they’re the ones that, in many cases, have to make choices.”

“The moves that [Roblox is] making in order to filter games and have them sitting across multiple types of accounts, making those age-appropriate judgments about the games, is a very positive proactive stance that Roblox is taking. But it doesn’t mean that parents can just sit back and say, ‘okay, everything there is going to be safe for my child’.”

Roblox is commonly used as a social space for children, which some users have taken advantage of. Image: Roblox.

Similarly, Dr Taylor Hardwick, a postdoctoral researcher at RMIT University who specialises in games and children’s play cultures, agrees that while Roblox’s attempt to protect children online is a good thing, parents may not have the support to fully benefit from the new features.

“Parents are the busiest people in the world,” Dr Hardwick said. “They might have multiple children of different ages, so suddenly they’re trying to understand different approaches.”

“What ends up happening in these situations is that time-poor parents are put in a situation where it is more difficult to understand how to navigate these systems than to relent and give access to your child anyway.”

See Also

04/02/2026Chris Button Apps

Tech’s biggest safety feature is largely ignored, but it shouldn’t be

Research over the years shows that parental controls are largely underutilised. Many parents struggle with the overwhelming nature of parental controls and a lack of support, which commonly comes up in studies into online safety.

“You’ve got maybe 15 minutes to sit on the couch on your phone after a long day before you make dinner to try and wrap your head around what it is that’s being asked of you, how you need to communicate these new rules to your child and how they might fit into the existing rule systems of your family,” Dr Hardwick said. “What an overwhelming ask, right?”

Addressing Roblox’s reputation for enabling predators

Roblox has made countless headlines in recent months linked to inappropriate content and predatory behaviour, including a UK man who was recently sentenced for grooming a minor using the platform. Siloing users into age-based segments is seen as a response to this, but experts aren’t convinced that it’s a perfect solution.

“There’s no guarantee that bad actors can’t also enter into that silo through whatever means they might creatively see possible,” Dr Hardwick said. “It doesn’t mean that children will necessarily stay in their silos — kids are bloody smart and adept at technologies.”

Professor Given also questioned whether Roblox’s youngest users need a chat function at all, irrespective of whether it’s disabled by default. Parents can always enable in-game chat, while chatting between trusted connections can be done between age groups, requiring parents to be extra vigilant about who their children add online.

Some experts have questioned how effective Roblox Kids and Roblox Select account types will be at addressing the platform’s biggest issues. Image: Roblox.

“I think a key question is really around those chat features and at what point should kids actually be engaging and how far,” Professor Given said. “Particularly as children might try to add in other people that are within their gaming social circle, but maybe not well known to parents.”

Even Roblox admits that there is no silver bullet solution to children’s safety online.

“While no system is perfect, these age-adaptive accounts are designed to help remove the guesswork for parents and help align users’ experiences with their age,” Kaufman said.

There’s a perception that major tech companies won’t make change unless threatened with regulatory action, which in turn impacts their bottom line: a throughline Dr Hardwick sees with Roblox.

“Roblox has a history of not making change until threatened to,” she said. “I think that what Roblox isn’t interested in addressing is the cultural problem that allows this to grow and has allowed Roblox to become synonymous with predatory behaviour and extremist content.”

“I think that the recent moves toward age verification and age gating are really punitive and don’t actually do anything to address this need for kids to just have a playground to go to. And so I think I would really like to see conversations occurring not only around how to protect children, but how to create spaces for children to be safe, but also to be kids.”

The post Roblox adds Kids accounts, experts fear for pressure on parents appeared first on GadgetGuy.

Read More

Hisense cuts TV HDMI ports to 3, but adds high-speed USB-C

Last week, when Hisense announced its 2026 range of TVs coming to Australia, the new RGB technology rightfully took all the attention. It’s fresh and exciting, bringing an emerging technology at an approachable price point. However, buried in the spec sheets was an eyebrow-raising design change: reducing the number of HDMI ports from four to three.

When reviewing the mid-range Hisense U7QAU TV last year, I expressed great relief that it included four HDMI 2.1 ports. Previous TVs in the range had four ports, albeit only two that supported the higher-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 standard. This was a boon for gamers, who rely on HDMI 2.1 connectivity to play games at 120Hz refresh rates or higher.

While HDMI 2.1 remains a core feature of Hisense’s TVs, the number of overall ports is set to reduce. As seen in the technical specs of the upcoming UR9S model, which starts at $3,999 for the 65-inch version, only three HDMI ports are included.

It’s not uncommon for lower-priced TVs to have three or fewer HDMI ports. For $4,000 TVs — like the latest Samsung OLEDs or LG’s flagship models — however, four is generally the norm.

When asked about the change, a Hisense spokesperson explained that the company has “shifted from 4 to 3 HDMI ports, which is complemented by the addition of a USB-C port on the left side.”

“This enhances overall versatility and future-proofs connectivity, supporting multiple formats such as DisplayPort, USB-C to HDMI, and USB-C to VGA.”

This USB-C port is also mentioned on the UR9S’ product page, advertised as supporting file sharing, displaying content in 4K at up to 165Hz, and able to charge devices at 10W speeds. A more detailed spec sheet on Hisense’s website doesn’t specify the exact details of the port, other than a mention of ‘USB 3.0’.

For some, the lack of a fourth HDMI port may prove a hindrance. Across modern video game consoles and soundbars, those ports can fill up quickly. In some instances, the port reduction can be offset by soundbars that support HDMI passthrough. This means plugging an input, like a games console or a Blu-Ray player, into a compatible soundbar, which then passes the signal through to the TV via one HDMI port.

Conversely, the addition of USB-C will make it easier to connect laptops, with many recent portable PCs favouring Thunderbolt-certified USB-C slots instead of HDMI connections. Either way, it’s a change that might take some adjusting to.

GadgetGuy has asked Hisense to clarify the bandwidth of the new USB-C port and which TVs the three-HDMI design applies to.

The post Hisense cuts TV HDMI ports to 3, but adds high-speed USB-C appeared first on GadgetGuy.

Read More

Apple AirPods Max 2 review: A huge audio improvement

8.2

Buy on Amazon

The original AirPods Max were polarising. In my circles, there were people who loved them and thought they had the best noise cancelling on the market, and there were people like me who loved the Spatial Audio effect but found the noise cancelling deeply disappointing for the price. This largely came down to head shape: if you could get a good seal, they were amazing, but if you had chunky glasses or a different head shape, we were out of luck.

While the AirPods Max 2 has the exact same body and fit, the improved audio algorithms mean that the internal microphones are better able to compensate for fit, adjusting noise cancelling to the point that I’m now in love.

I get the hype. While the price tag definitely still has some of the old-school Apple tax in there, the audio and noise cancelling quality are now good enough that it feels more justified. Already, I’m certain they’re one of the best-sounding headphones in my collection.

Table of contents

• First impressions
• Specifications and price
• Who are the Apple AirPods Max 2 for?

Apple AirPods Max 2 Wireless Over-Ear Headphones, Active Noise Cancellation, Adaptive Audio, Personalised Spatial Audio, Live Translation, Bluetooth Headphones for iPhone – Blue

Buy on Amazon

First impressions

The first thing I noticed when I opened the box is that the blue is slightly different to the blue of the original AirPods Max. From the pictures, I had expected them to look almost identical, but the new blue is a more washed-out, less vibrant blue. It’s more like if grey tried to be blue for Halloween.

Whether you prefer it or not will depend on how much you like bright colours versus something a bit more ‘sophisticated’. They look less fun, but more expensive.

Spot the difference: Apple’s first-gen over-ear headphones (left) next to the second-gen (right). Image: Alice Clarke.

The second thing I noticed is that, aside from colour, they look identical to the original AirPods Max. They’ve got the same joints connecting the ear cups to the band, the same ear cups, the same weird little nappy case that does almost nothing to protect the headphones in a bag (but is essential to turn the headphones off to conserve battery). The woven material on the band feels more robust than the original model, but that could also be that I’ve had my original model since release and have worn it hundreds of times, and time wearies us all.

Setup was as easy as you’d expect from an AirPods product: I held them near my iPhone 17 Pro Max, clicked connect on the pop-up, and they were automatically synced with all my Apple devices. I was able to jump between iPhone and Apple TV almost instantly.

Apple AirPods Max 2 specifications and price

Price (RRP)	$999
Warranty	1 year in addition to your Australian consumer law rights
Manufacturer’s website	Apple Australia
Chip	Apple H2 headphone chip (each ear cup)
Sensors	Optical sensor (each ear cup) Position sensor (each ear cup) Case-detect sensor (each ear cup) Accelerometer (each ear cup) Gyroscope (left ear cup)
Microphones	Nine microphones total: Eight microphones for Active Noise Cancellation Three microphones for voice pick-up (two shared with Active Noise Cancellation and one additional microphone)
Controls	Digital Crown
Weight	386.2g
Battery	AirPods Max 2 (full charge): Up to 20 hours of listening time on a single charge with Active Noise Cancellation enabled 5 minutes of charge time provides around 1.5 hours of listening time.
Connectivity	Bluetooth 5.3 USB-C

The only real upgrades in the AirPods Max 2 are the jump from H1 to H2 and a new amplifier. Personally, I’m surprised that Apple didn’t take this opportunity to debut an H3 chip, but given the component crisis, it’s not shocking that the company decided to go with something it already had on hand.

The H2 chip is only rated for Bluetooth 5.3, which is fine, but for $1,000 headphones, I’d expect Bluetooth 6.0. I would also want Auracast, but Bluetooth 6.0 and Auracast weren’t really concerns when the H2 debuted in 2022; they are in 2026, though.

This upgrade brings the AirPods Max 2 in line with AirPods Pro 3, and brings many of the AirPods Pro 3 features to the top-of-the-range Apple headphones.

More positively, the new amplifier is excellent. Zero complaints. But I would expect Apple to want to introduce new innovations in a product this expensive, rather than just bringing them in line with products from four years ago.

Aside from that, nothing has changed. It’s the same battery, same ear cups (that are prone to condensation and damage of components), and same headband that is notorious for warping, connection issues, and becoming uncomfortable, even if this webbing does feel more robust to me out of the box.

Wireless listening

Given it’s being driven by the H2 chip, the same kind of chip as the AirPods Pro 3, and a new amplifier, listening to music on the AirPods Max 2 is unsurprisingly excellent.

Going between the original AirPods Max and the sequel, the difference isn’t overwhelming at first. However, the more times I switched between the two across different genres, it’s easy to tell the difference that the H2 chip makes (in addition to the new amplifier), even before you start getting to some of the extra features. The bass is fuller, not louder or crowding the rest of the song, just fuller and with more definition.

They’re not quite at ‘burn your old AirPod Maxes and then salt the earth’ levels of improvement, but I can tell the difference when directly comparing the two.

Image: Alice Clarke.

Part of that is because the new audio algorithms and the H2 chip are working together to make up for the inadequacies of the fit. It’s still got the same fit problems as the original, but (for now, before the headband loosens too much, at least), the internal microphones are doing a better job of working out how much outside audio is leaking in and then cancelling that out, giving the illusion of a better fit. Personally, I would have just improved the hardware of the headphones to give a better fit over a diverse range of head shapes. But I am not Apple.

Compared to the AirPods Pro 3, which are essentially the same headphones in a different shape, I actually prefer the way the AirPods Max 2 sound. The difference between the two is so minor it’s barely noticeable, but the Max 2 just has a tiny little bit of extra warmth.

Wired listening

This difference between audiophile listening and regular Bluetooth listening is difficult to describe in a way that makes it seem worth it. But the jump between wireless listening and listening to the AirPods Max 2 with a USB-C cable plugged in and putting on a lossless track is like breathing in the Melbourne CBD (pretty good, not too polluted, feels fine) and then taking a deep breath in remote countryside on a crisp autumn day. Or eating a strawberry from the supermarket, and eating an organic strawberry you plucked fresh from your own garden.

Wireless is very good, and a great experience if it’s all you’re used to. But the elevated wired experience is a whole other level. It just opens up the songs so much more in a way that you have to hear to understand.

Apple’s button and Digital Crown controls remain the best on any over-ear headphones. Image: Alice Clarke.

With a wired connection, I’m able to hear things in the mix on “Simmer” by Hayley Williams that I normally only hear on my Sennheiser IE600 monitors with an amp. In fact, I think the soundstage on the AirPods Max 2 might be ever so slightly broader than the IE 600, which is wild. Listening to the song, I feel like I’m sitting on the floor in the studio, in the middle of the band. The extra sizzle on the ride cymbal is a visceral thing that adds depth and layers. Her voice sounds richer. There is more space in the music.

It’s the kind of experience that not only justifies using bulkier over-ear headphones, but also going old school and listening to wired music on the train, plane, or while walking around. Having that premium listening experience, and also the benefits of noise cancellation, conversation awareness and transparency mode is a game changer.

Switching back from wired listening to wireless is really hard. It’s like when you take an HDR picture and view it on a non-HDR screen — it’s missing texture and it’s less vibrant. Still fine, but you know what you’re missing now.

Noise cancelling

The noise cancelling in the AirPods Max 2 compared to the original AirPods Max is night and day. With the original AirPods Max on, I can still hear the vacuum cleaner and washing machine clearly. I can have a full conversation with noise cancelling on.

However, with the AirPods Max 2, I am aware that the robot vacuum cleaner is currently fighting for its life with my daughter’s Duplo, but it’s not the dominant sound the way it is with the originals. It sounds like it’s happening a couple of rooms over, rather than 3m away.

If this plush Tiger’s ears worked, it wouldn’t be able to hear much with noise cancellation turned on. Image: Alice Clarke.

Then again, if I put in the AirPods Pro 3, I can’t hear that sad little robot at all. Its struggles may as well not exist. There is a reason why I stopped bothering to bring over-ear headphones with me on flights under 13 hours, and why I carry the AirPods Pro 3 with me everywhere, and that’s because they’re just this good.

I believe Apple’s claim that the AirPods Max 2 have 1.5x the noise cancelling of the original AirPods Max, it makes a noticeable difference. Whether it beats the AirPods Pro 3 for you will depend on fit.

Transparency mode

I have been in awe of the transparency mode of AirPods with the H2 chip for four years, and that awe continues. While some headphones sound like the outside world is being piped in through a speaker, turning on transparency mode on the AirPods Max 2 just sounds like you’re not wearing headphones. Absolute witchcraft.

It makes them so useful for office environments, parents, and eavesdropping in public.

Comfort

Overall, I found the AirPods Max 2 to be quite comfortable for around the first hour, then they started to feel a bit heavy. They’re the same level of comfort as the original model, and they’re really held back by the lack of padding and the heavy weight.

I can only wear them for around four hours at a time before I need to give my head a break, whereas I can wear a pair of Sony XM5s for 15-plus hours straight without issue. Your mileage may vary.

Case

I hate this case. I hate this case so much. It’s ugly, it’s not especially protective, and it leaves the headband vulnerable to damage, as I have seen on my previous model.

That said, it’s also kinda genius. You can’t turn off the headphones without putting them in the case, which is deeply irritating. However, this ensures that most people are going to take the case with them, and put the case on before putting the headphones in their bag, thus protecting the internals of the headphones from debris.

Apple stuck with the same case design as the first model. Image: Alice Clarke.

If the case were larger, people wouldn’t want to carry it with them, and if they didn’t have to use it to conserve battery, they wouldn’t because (as previously stated) it looks stupid and offers very little functionality.

From a sheer practicality standpoint of achieving that one goal, I can understand why Apple did what it did in making this case. It’s like the mouse that can only be charged upside down – the company wanted to make sure people didn’t just leave it plugged in all the time, so they made it so you couldn’t.

However, from every other perspective, I cannot understand why Apple didn’t update this ugly and largely impractical feature on a premium product. Surely there’s a way to have the same outcome without being so lame?

Who are the Apple AirPods Max 2 for?

These are the headphones for people who have cash to splash, care about fashion, and want the best audio experience an Apple product has to offer. It’s not for people who live in particularly humid or changeable climates, or for those with sweaty ears (don’t wear them at the gym if you want the components to survive).

I’m torn, because I really love the AirPods Max 2; they sound amazing, they look good, the improved noise cancelling makes a huge difference, and (when they’re brand new and the headband is unwarped) they’re comfortable for medium bursts of wearing them.

But I’m also irritated. Apple had almost six years to address complaints and shortcomings in the original AirPods Max. Instead, the company just slapped a new chip and amplifier in the old headphones and raised the price by $100. I’m not surprised there are already rumours about a Max 3 model soon.

That said, I can’t think of a single pair of headphones for under $1,000 that sound better than the Apple AirPods Max 2. Add the seamless experience for Apple users, and a lot of people are in for a good time. I just wish they could be in for a better time.

GadgetGuy occasionally uses affiliate links and may receive a small commission from purchased products.

Apple AirPods Max 2

Malibu Stacy’s new hat (aka the AirPods Max 2’s updated chip) makes a huge difference to sound quality in Apple’s latest premium headphones.

Features

9

Value for money

6

Performance

10

Ease of use

10

Design

6

Positives

New H2 chip introduces a huge range of new features

Sounds great

Noise cancelling is significantly improved

The button controls are still the GOAT

Hi-res audio when plugged in via USB-C is a game changer

Negatives

All the same problematic features of the original AirPods Max

Not comfortable for long stretches of wearing

Case is still ugly

8.2

Buy on Amazon

The post Apple AirPods Max 2 review: A huge audio improvement appeared first on GadgetGuy.

Read More

The Refoss Smart Energy Monitor simplifies tracking energy use

I am currently on a journey of making my house smart. If you believe what the various brands say about their offering, it is easy. In my case, I want to see what I can automate, how much I can automate, and whether I can retrofit existing infrastructure or if I need new gadgets. One piece of that equation is my electricity usage and the desire to maximise my solar usage to minimise my power bill. To do this, I need to measure my real-time energy usage, and one product that can help is the Refoss Smart Energy Monitor EM16P.

Image: Angus Jones.

Until a few years ago, the only way I measured my power usage was from the quarterly power bill. This changed when I got a smart electricity meter provided by the energy authority. This meant my usage was transmitted back to my energy retailer, so they did not have to read my meter anymore, and I could go to my retailer’s website to see my usage. This information was still delayed by around 24 hours.

What I want to do is see when my solar panels are generating more power than I am using, and, when in excess, activate power usage to take advantage of it. If I had the latest solar setup or battery solution, this would all be possible, but I don’t. What I have is old, thus the search for a solution.

How does the Refoss Smart Energy Monitor work?

Refoss have been making smart energy monitors for a while, and I have been testing its latest EM16P model, which costs US$199.99 online. The product is a smart meter combined with 2 x 200A clamp sensors and 16 x 60A clamp sensors. A clamp sensor is a measurement device that detects the magnetic field generated by electric current flowing through a cable. The wire does not need to be connected; simply, the sensor is clamped around the wire. This sensor can measure how much power is being consumed in a circuit and the voltage at which it occurs.

The EM16P will work on single- or three-phase house circuits and requires a connection to power and access to the wires in your fuse box. A licensed electrician must be used for its installation in Australia.

The smart meter (left) and the orange clamp sensors (right). Images: Angus Jones.

In my house, including solar, there are 10 circuits or fuses that power various parts of my house, including lights, power points, air conditioners, hot water, and the kitchen oven and stove.
Beyond my initial desire for real-time measurement of my solar output, which could enable importing or exporting power to the grid, I can now measure each circuit to understand how much power it consumes. In our case, we do not have a pool or use our air conditioning much, so most power is consumed by everything plugged into our power points, followed by our hot water.

Now, it may be that I have geeked out too much here, wanting to measure my energy usage better, but with power prices the way they are, it is interesting that this space has few solutions. Those who have invested in the latest solar and battery solutions definitely have an app to measure this. Refoss provides an app that lets the smart monitor connect to Wi-Fi either via the cloud or locally, if you don’t want your data to leave the house. The app will allow you to measure real-time voltage and wattage, as well as watt-hours (Wh) used over time. Your electricity retailer charges you per kWh (kilowatt-hour). If you do use the cloud, your data will be stored for up to five years.

Data from the smart meter. Screenshot: Angus Jones.

Whilst the data is accurate, there is not much you can do with it in terms of graphs via the app or a web browser connection. You can graph an individual circuit, but no fancy graphs of whole-home usage or comparisons of what is using the power. Refoss does indicate that they continue to improve their product through software updates, and they also support an open-source home automation system called Home Assistant. I have started playing with Home Assistant, and it is amazing, bringing all your smart home ecosystems into one place. Expect more on Home Assistant in a future article.

The Refoss Smart Energy Monitor EM16P has solved my real-time solar monitoring issue, but has opened up a whole new realm of possibilities for my ever-evolving smart home. Some other usage cases for an energy monitor include measuring the power usage of a rented granny flat or identifying an old, power-hungry appliance.

The post The Refoss Smart Energy Monitor simplifies tracking energy use appeared first on GadgetGuy.

Read More

Insta360’s slick Snap Selfie Screen upgrades your phone camera

I’ve said it before, and I’ll keep saying it: the best camera is the one you have on you. For most of us, this is usually the cameras built into our phones. Many of the best phones have excellent cameras, but even they can benefit from a helping hand. Insta360 recently launched a novel accessory that could help you take advantage of your phone’s rear cameras: the Snap Selfie Screen.

Traditionally, the best cameras are the ones on the back of your phone. They’re great for taking pictures of pets, landscapes, and other people. Not so great for selfies.

A phone’s selfie camera is usually its weakest in terms of megapixel count and sensor size, so the quality takes a hit, particularly in low-light situations. But at least you can see yourself when taking a photo.

Image: Insta360.

As an alternative, the Insta360 Snap Selfie Screen attaches to the back of a phone, letting you see a preview of what the rear cameras see. The idea is that you can take selfies and record vlogs with more control using your phone’s best cameras, and therefore get nicer images.

Insta360’s device takes the form of a 3.5-inch touchscreen that aligns using magnets. For recent iPhone users, that means taking advantage of the built-in MagSafe technology. Fortunately, the Snap Selfie Screen still works with Android phones via an included magnetic ring. It then uses a small USB-C cable to connect, displaying a preview of native and third-party camera apps.

In Australia, the Snap Selfie Screen costs $139.99, or $154.99 for a version with a built-in fill light. For those who don’t have the use (or budget) for a standalone camera with a built-in preview screen, like the Insta360 X5 or DJI Osmo Pocket 3, this could be a good (and cheaper) alternative.

The post Insta360’s slick Snap Selfie Screen upgrades your phone camera appeared first on GadgetGuy.

Read More

$200 discount kicks off Samsung Galaxy A37 and A57 launch

Samsung has launched its mid-range Galaxy A37 and A57 phones in Australia with a decent launch discount to kick things off.

Announced last month, Samsung’s new handsets are the latest in the brand’s A-series range, sitting within the highly competitive mid-tier phone market. Previous entries, like the Galaxy A56, have been well-priced and well-rounded phones for folks who don’t want to spend anywhere near $1,000.

Like most devices this year, the Galaxy A37 and A57 both cost a bit more than their respective predecessors. Each one is $50 more expensive; the A37 costs $599 in Australia, while the A57 costs $749 at full price.

Samsung Galaxy A37 [AU Version] 5G A Series Mobile…

Buy on Amazon

Samsung Galaxy A57 [AU Version] 5G A Series Mobile…

Buy on Amazon

However, that full price is still a while away. Coinciding with the local launch, Samsung, along with several retailers, is selling the phones at discounts of up to $150 outright, and up to $200 off when bought on a plan.

Depending on where you shop, the launch deal for either the Galaxy A37 or Galaxy A57 discounts the handset cost by between 22 and 30 per cent. Not bad for a device barely a full day old.

For example, you can grab the Galaxy A37 from Officeworks for $497 or the Galaxy A57 for $597 via Amazon. Telstra offers a higher discount when buying either phone with an eligible plan: $150 off for the Galaxy A37, and $200 off for the Galaxy A57.

Meanwhile, Vodafone has a Samsung Galaxy A57 deal that includes the handset for $10 per month when tacked onto an eligible 36-month plan. Some quick maths: $360 for the phone saves nearly $400 on the device’s RRP.

Pretty much anywhere you go, you’ll find some kind of discount. Most of the discounts when buying outright last until 29 April, while Telstra and Vodafone’s plan-based deals run until 4 May.

We’re currently wrapping up our reviews of Samsung’s latest mid-range phones, and will share our full thoughts soon.

GadgetGuy occasionally uses affiliate links and may receive a small commission from purchased products.

The post $200 discount kicks off Samsung Galaxy A37 and A57 launch appeared first on GadgetGuy.

Read More

DJI Osmo Pocket 4 teased as follow-up to popular creator camera

One of the world’s most popular creator cameras is about to get a long-awaited follow-up. Overnight, DJI teased a brief glimpse of the Osmo Pocket 4 gimbal camera and confirmed when we’ll get the full reveal.

I’ve been using the fantastic DJI Osmo Pocket 3 since 2023, as have many other creators. Its large one-inch CMOS sensor takes better video than most phones, which is why you see so many of them at any event attended by journalists and creators.

While DJI didn’t show much about the Osmo Pocket 4 in its teaser video, the brand did set expectations for a bigger reveal on 16 April. Speculation is running wild about how the fourth-gen camera will improve on the existing model: will it have a bigger sensor? Multiple cameras? A more weatherproof design?

We’ll soon find out. For now, the Osmo Pocket 3 costs $679 in Australia, well below its original $849 price. Fortunately, we weren’t hit by the price increase faced by other countries.

The post DJI Osmo Pocket 4 teased as follow-up to popular creator camera appeared first on GadgetGuy.

Read More