Cleaning the pool used to be hours of back-breaking labour. Now, it’s as easy as literally throwing a robot into the water and letting it get to work.
At Mova’s mega Australian launch yesterday, I saw the upcoming range, which included home robotics, kitchen appliances, and even power tools. One of the standouts was the Mova Rover X10, a robot pool cleaner that uses jet propulsion to float to the water’s surface.
That’s a pretty nifty feature, considering most robot pool cleaners tidy the bottom and sides of household pools. Usually, you’d need a separate skimming device to clean the pool surface, but the Rover X10 does it all in one device.
Australian PlayStation gamers will soon require age verification to access R18+ content via the platform’s online store as part of the country’s recent regulations surrounding age-appropriate content.
According to an email seen by GadgetGuy, Australian PlayStation users can now verify their age via either a facial scan or by providing a form of ID. Per a frequently asked questions page, users who don’t verify soon won’t be able to add content rated R18+ to their library via the PlayStation Store.
“As part of our commitment to online safety and age-appropriate play, we use age verification to help deliver the best PlayStation experience for your age and to help protect our younger players,” PlayStation’s website reads.
PlayStation’s move follows the Australian eSafety Commissioner’s Age-Restricted Material Codes that were implemented earlier this year. Under the regulations, Australians “have to complete some form of age assurance to access online games classified R18+ by the Australian Classification Board”.
The state of age verification and media classification
PlayStation is the latest major gaming platform to require age verification for restricted adult content in Australia, after Microsoft rolled out the requirement earlier in the month across PC and Xbox. Like Microsoft’s requirements, PlayStation’s age verification won’t prevent users from accessing R18+ content they already own.
After upgrading its over-ear headphones, Sennheiser now has a new pair of in-ear buds, launching the Momentum True Wireless 5 in Australia. In a big win for sustainability, both the charging case and headphones include a user-replaceable battery design.
It’s a big step forward for keeping tech for longer, considering many headphones essentially become e-waste once their batteries die. Google previously introduced replaceable batteries in the Pixel Buds 2a’s charging case, while Sennheiser takes the concept further, extending the eco-friendly design to the earbuds, too. According to Sennheiser, a compact screwdriver is all you need to access the battery compartment.
Elsewhere, the Momentum True Wireless 5 also has some design tweaks aimed at improving comfort. Sennheiser redesigned the ear tips to improve the fit while cranking up the buds’ active noise cancelling. A four-mic system powers the ANC, which Sennheiser also claims provides a better transparency mode. Similarly, the buds tap into a six-mic array and AI-based noise isolation to help pick up your voice more clearly on phone calls.
Image: Sennheiser.
On the inside, Sennheiser’s new buds use a 7mm driver, supporting up to 24-bit hi-res audio and aptX Lossless playback on compatible audio. They connect wirelessly via Bluetooth 6.0, support head-tracked Dolby Atmos audio, and offer eight-band EQ customisation through Sennheiser’s Smart Control App.
Back to the battery, Sennheiser rates the Momentum True Wireless 5 as lasting up to 12 hours on a single charge. Combined with the charging case, which supports wireless Qi charging, the buds last up to a total of 40 hours. You should be fine to wear them for most workouts, too, thanks to the IP54 dust and splash resistance.
At $499, the Momentum True Wireless 5 costs the same as the previous model, avoiding the price increase of its over-ear counterpart. Available in Graphite, Cream, Copper, Denim, and Lavender colours, the buds officially launch on 3 September via Sennheiser’s online store and JB Hi-Fi. Other retailers start stocking them from 1 October onwards.
Australian yards, especially in regional areas, tend to be bigger than those in other parts of the world. Among other reasons, it’s partly why we see outdoor tech arrive here later than other regions. Roborock even rolled out a local trial late last year to test its robot mowers in Australian conditions. Now, it’s ready to bring its tech here, officially launching the RockMow and RockNeo range in Australia.
Starting at $1,409 for the cheapest model, Roborock’s robotic mowers start arriving on 1 September. Most models use a combination of navigation technologies, including visual simultaneous localisation and mapping (VSLAM) and real-time kinematic positioning (RTK) GPS tech, to manoeuvre around garden obstacles and keep your lawn looking tidy.
Previously announced at IFA last year, Roborock’s robotic lawnmowers come in three different tiers. At the entry-level is the ‘Q Series’, designed for smaller yards, starting at $1,409 for the RockNeo Q105 model. This specific robot covers 500m², while the $1,899 Q110 model covers up to 1,000m².
Next up is the ‘S Series’, consisting of the $1,999 RockMow S108 and $2,499 S115 models. These mowers cover yards up to 800m² and 1,500m², respectively. Roborock’s RockMow S robots also include a more powerful motor and electric height adjustment, among several other features.
RockMow Z series in action. Image: Roborock.
At the top of the tree is the RockMow Z series. The $3,499 RockMow Z120 is the only model with LiDAR navigation technology, covering lawns up to 2,000m². Roborock’s flagship device is the $4,999 RockMow Z150, which steps up the coverage to 5,000m². Both RockMows are 4WD models, able to navigate steeper 80% slopes.
Aussies keen to try Roborock’s mowers can find the range at Bunnings from next month.
Fridge whiteboards might once have been organised families’ tool of choice, but digital planners might be taking over. Local brand Laser wants to take it up to the overseas companies dominating the family planner niche, debuting a digital calendar without the dangling carrot of subscription-exclusive features.
Taking the form of a 15.6-inch 1080p touchscreen, the Laser digital calendar acts as a one-stop shop for managing a family’s activities. It can sync with multiple devices, displaying Google, Outlook, and iCloud calendar items together. In addition to the core calendar features, Laser’s device also offers task management, meal planning, and list features to help households run smoothly.
Launching at a discounted $179 price in Australia until 2 September, Laser’s digital calendar will then cost $229.95. For comparison, US company Skylight — popular for its digital planning devices — charges $529 for its 15-inch model, then $124.99 per year for the brand’s ‘Plus’ subscription service required for additional features.
With a built-in kickstand, the Laser digital calendar can be placed horizontally or vertically. Image: Laser.
“Families are looking for ways to streamline their busy daily lives, but we also believe that the last thing they need is another monthly bill to worry about,” said Chris Lau, Managing Director of Laser. “Unlike other alternatives on the market, the Laser Digital Calendar does not require an ongoing subscription, it’s a one-off purchase for ultimate family communication.”
When not used as a digital planner, the Laser calendar also doubles as a photo frame. Families can share images remotely from mobile devices, adding a personal touch to the calendar.
Laser’s digital calendar is now available via Big W, Amazon, and the company’s online store. For families keen to avoid yet another subscription, it could be a handy household planning tool.
Giving your old ride a high-tech overhaul, the DDPAI N5 Pro Dashcam keeps an eye on things – both in front and behind – when you’re behind the wheel.
Third-party dashcams have become a lot more sophisticated in the last few years, expanding their features far beyond simply keeping watch for accidents. This has been driven not just by tough competition, but also increasing consumer expectations when people see what’s available in the latest cars.
Case in point, now that my daughter drives to work and plays in a band, we recently bought a 10-year-old Mazda 6 to sit in the driveway alongside our 2023 Tesla Model Y. Sadly, the budget doesn’t stretch to two EVs.
While it’s fine to drive, the Mazda 6’s high-tech limitations are difficult to overlook when we’ve grown accustomed to the Tesla’s advanced remote access features such as dashcam, GPS tracking and sentry mode alerts if the alarm is triggered.
The ability to check if someone arrived safely at their destination, and an ETA on their arrival home, is both useful and reassuring.
That’s where the DDPAI N5 Pro Dashcam comes in, granting an old car a wide range of new high-tech features.
Some dashcams double as GPS navigation screens and are designed to sit on the dashboard, but the DDPAI N5 Pro Dashcam doesn’t feature a screen. It sits up high on the windscreen, behind the rear vision mirror, so it has a clear view of the road ahead.
Attaching the camera to the windscreen first requires cleaning the glass and attaching an electrostatic sticker. Then you peel the backing off the camera mount’s 3M sticky pad and stick it to the electrostatic sticker. This attaches much more firmly than relying on a suction cup.
You might run into issues if, like my Mazda 6, there is a large sensor cluster behind the rear vision mirror. I ended up placing the front dashcam to the left of the mirror, on the passenger side, so it still has a good view of the road without blocking the driver’s view.
The DDPAI N5 Pro Dashcam (right) and optional 4G module (left), installed to the left of the sensor cluster in a Mazda 6. Image: Adam Turner.The first close-up photo makes the camera look huge, but this shot gives better perspective. Image: Adam Turner.
The camera is powered via USB-C, with DDPAI providing long cables and a trim tool to neatly run the power cable out of sight around the window and down to the dashboard.
The basic $289 includes the front and rear camera, cables and a standard 12V car cigarette lighter USB power charger. There’s an optional $35 hardware kit to wire the cameras directly into the car.
When hardwired, IPS power management monitors vehicle battery voltage in real-time to prevent battery drain, automatically cutting power to the camera if the car’s battery drops below a preset threshold.
The dashcam features a supercapacitor, rather than a lithium battery, to provide short-term backup power if required.
As mentioned, the DDPAI N5 Pro also comes with a thumb-sized secondary camera for looking out the rear window. It’s not a real-time reversing camera, just a second set of eyes to capture anything that might happen behind you.
Once again, you can use the trim tool to neatly run the rear USB-C cable around the ceiling trim, connecting the rear camera to the main front camera. Once mounted, you can tilt both cameras to get a good view of the road.
The thumb-sized DDPAI N5 Pro rear camera. Once again, the photo makes it look much larger than it actually is. Image: Adam Turner.
There’s an optional $85 low-power radar parking monitor, which attaches to the front windscreen alongside the main camera. It actively watches your car while parked, looking both forward and back, to wake the camera from a low-power sleep state if it detects motion or impact.
Don’t be confused by the name; it’s not designed to warn you when the police are pointing a radar speed gun at your car.
There’s also an optional $129 4G ‘cloud box’ module, which is particularly tempting, as it adds the remote access, status and monitoring features that we’ve come to expect from new cars. The included 4G SIM comes with 30 days free trial, after which it costs $113.79 per year if you auto-renew. You can also pay for 30, 180 or 730 days.
That ongoing expense might be tough for those suffering from subscription overload. I begrudgingly pay Tesla $10 a month for 4G access, which offers a few extra features compared to this, so I guess $113.79 for a year isn’t too bad.
The camera mount features three USB-C plugs, plus the 4G module features USB-C passthrough so it can share the power port. Image: Adam Turner.
DDPAI N5 Pro Dashcam specifications and price
Video resolution
Front: 4K at 25/30 fps with HDR, 3K at 60 fps Rear: 2K at 25/30 fps
Lens
F1.8, 143° field of view
Video
MP4 AI.265 & H.264
Storage
64GB eMMC + optional MicroSD card up to 512GB
Connectivity
5.8GHz Wi-Fi 6 Bluetooth BLE 5.4 4G (optional)
Satellite
GPS, BDS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS
Inertial Measurement Unit
Three axis
Radar module
Optional
Power
Standard car charger + 3.5m power cable Optional hardwire kit with IPS Power Management
With a 4K front camera and a 2K rear camera, the DDPAI N5 Pro Dashcam is designed to give you a crisp and clear view of exactly what happened out on the road.
The 143-degree wide field lens offers a slightly fish-eyed view of the world, which allows you to look off to the sides and not just straight ahead.
Meanwhile, the large f/1.8 aperture lens lets in a lot of light to help in low-light conditions. After dark, the cameras also take advantage of HDR and Night Vision 2.0 technology so you can still make out plenty of detail.
The front camera and 4G module, looking through the front windscreen. Image: Adam Turner.
The DDPAI mobile app lets you review videos or watch the live feed. You can access the camera locally via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, with 5GHz Wi-Fi 6 for fast file transfers. There’s also remote access if you opt for the 4G module.
All of this means it’s easy to download videos and still images to your phone for sharing. The 4G module also lets you automatically upload to the cloud for safe-keeping.
As you’d expect with the high-quality camera, the resulting video clips are very impressive, even on an overcast day or after dark. The camera handles bright lights well, so you can still see plenty of detail elsewhere in the scene.
The view from the 4K front camera on an overcast day. Image: Adam Turner.The view from the 4K front camera at night. Image: Adam Turner.
Along with the time-stamped video, you can also turn your phone to see a dashboard of the car’s current status, or else the location of the car on the map.
These details are saved alongside the video, so you can view them during replays and not just the live feed. You can also see the car’s travel history on the map.
Screenshots: Adam Turner.
Looking at the app, the camera switch button at the top right lets you alternative been the front and rear camera, for a more complete view of what’s happening. There’s no picture-in-picture option.
While the video quality is very impressive, one surprise is that the DDPAI app doesn’t let you pinch to zoom in and make the most of that 4K resolution. To see fine details like a license plate number, you might need to export the video or a screenshot to your phone.
The front 4K camera offers plenty of detail when you take a screenshot and zoom in. Image: Adam Turner
The app lets you scroll back and forward through the video of entire journeys. To make it easier to find events of interest, it automatically takes a photo and marks the video timeline when it detects a collision or sudden braking. It also saves the 10 seconds before and after that event as a separate video file.
This is extremely handy, although, by default, I found the impact detection a little too sensitive – constantly triggered by the nasty speed humps in my suburb (admittedly not helped by the Mazda’s dodgy suspension). Thankfully, you can adjust the sensitivity in the advanced settings.
More than just a passive dashcam, the DDPAI N5 Pro also supports GPS geo-fencing to automatically notify you when the car enters or exits a certain area. Of course, this requires the 4G module.
Plus, the dashcam features Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), which monitors road conditions in real-time and provides voice alerts.
These include a ‘driver fatigue’ alert, plus a ‘vehicle front start alert’ if you fail to notice the car in front of you has started moving. The latter can become annoying when stuck in traffic, plus it’s easily confused – piping up when I backed out of a car park because the car in front appeared to move forward.
You can disable the vehicle front start alert, but unfortunately you can’t replace it with a simple ‘bing’ similar to how my Tesla behaves.
Surprisingly, you don’t get forward collision warnings if the camera thinks you’re approaching a vehicle too quickly. You also miss out on lane drift alerts and speed warnings if you’re going faster than the signs on the roadside, which many modern cars support.
When you’re parked, the optional Radar Parking Monitoring mode stands guard in low-power mode, actively watching the surroundings. If it detects motion or an impact, it wakes the cameras to capture 10 seconds of video – which is where cloud storage comes in handy, in the event your car is stolen.
Who is the DDPAI N5 Pro Dashcam for?
The inclusion of both front and rear cameras makes the DDPAI N5 Pro Dashcam an impressive upgrade for old cars. The sharp resolution and great low-light performance ensure that you’ll be able to make out plenty of detail in the event of an incident.
It’s the 4G and radar options that make the N5 Pro Dashcam particularly attractive if you’re looking to bring modem smart features to your old ride, although you’ll need to keep paying for 4G access. Advanced Driver Assistance Systems features might be limited, but the ability to know where your car is and what’s happening around it certainly offers peace of mind.
DDPAI N5 Pro Dashcam
From and front and rear cameras to GPS tracking, the DDPAI N5 Pro Dashcam gives your old car some handy new features.
Features
9
Value for money
9
Performance
9
Ease of use
8.5
Design
9
Positives
Front and rear cameras
4K front resolution
Remote access if you're prepared to pay for ongoing 4G
Great range of optional extras
Negatives
Limited Advanced Driver Assistance Systems warnings
Samsung shook up its foldable phone range this year, introducing the smaller Galaxy Z Fold 8 form factor and bestowing the ‘Ultra’ label on its larger book-like handset. So far, it looks like the segmented approach has paid off, with Samsung claiming “double-digit growth” for foldable pre-orders compared to last year.
After the new Galaxy Z Fold 8 reviewed strongly, it arrived on Australian shelves last week, alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra. According to Nathan Rigger, Head of Product, Mobile Experience at Samsung Electronics Australia, the launch has seen a sizable uptake.
“This year’s Galaxy Z Fold range has grown by nearly 50% versus the previous generation,” Rigger said. “In fact, around 6 in 10 Galaxy Z Series purchases have come from customers upgrading from traditional candybar form factors, highlighting the growing appeal of foldables among a broader range of consumers.”
As first reported by EFTM‘s Trevor Long, Australian sales of Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and Fold 8 phones are neck-and-neck. Of the two, the smaller Fold 8 is reportedly outselling the Ultra by the slimmest of margins.
“Galaxy Z Fold 8 has been a standout performer, accounting for 51% of the Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra mix with customer demand exceeding our expectations both in Australia and globally,” Rigger said.
This ratio might even come as a surprise to Samsung. Before launch, Rigger told GadgetGuy that the company expected the Z Fold 8 Ultra to “still be the number one selling foldable device”, while the Fold 8’s role was seen as “opening up appeal of foldable (phones) to a broader audience”.
On the future of foldable phones
Part of the equation might be price. Positioned as more of a content consumption phone, the $2,699 Z Fold 8 has a 7.6-inch inner display that minimises the unused space of widescreen media, while 4:3 content takes up the whole screen. Meanwhile, the newly rebranded $2,999 Z Fold 8 Ultra brandishes a bigger 8-inch main screen alongside a more powerful camera stack, including a telephoto lens.
According to Rigger, Galaxy S and Galaxy Z users mainly use the wide and ultra-wide cameras, hence the decision to include only two rear cameras on the Z Fold 8. By comparison, the Z Fold 8 Ultra’s camera array is almost on par with Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S26 Ultra handset.
“We could have added another camera, but that may have meant that the device may have had to be bigger, or that the battery would have been smaller,” Rigger said. “So what we’ve tried to do is find the right balance.”
The Galaxy Z Fold 8’s smaller form factor has helped drive more foldable phone sales. Image: Samsung.
One major feature Samsung’s new foldables didn’t inherit from the S26 Ultra, however, was the brand’s new privacy display technology. Built into the screen, the tech prevents onlookers from peeking over your shoulder to snoop on personal information or confidential work files.
Although 2026’s Galaxy Z phones don’t have the feature, it hasn’t been ruled out for future models.
“It comes down to an overall balance in terms of what is that experience that we’re trying to deliver,” Rigger said. “So, it could be possible that [the Galaxy Z range] had (a) privacy display, but that might have meant that we had to have compromised on portability or other areas or elements of the device.”
Seeing the launch sales of the Galaxy Z range will likely be music to the ears of the Samsung team, who see a lot of repeat buyers across its premium range.
“It’s funny because the more people are willing to pay for premium devices, the more frequently they’re willing to upgrade,” said Eric Chou, Vice President of Mobile Experience at Samsung Electronics Australia. “And so foldable being our most premium, we actually have a much shorter life cycle compared to the norm.”
“Once you have that experience with a foldable… you just want to get the next best thing. So that naturally shortens the upgrade cycle.”
