Macquarie University is about to learn more about the galaxies in the Southern Sky thanks to the Huntsman Telescope, a unique array of lenses that makes the telescope the only one of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.
Housed at the Siding Spring Observatory near Coonabarabran in New South Wales – a seven-hour drive from Sydney – the Huntsman Telescope will help local researchers better understand how galaxies work via deep southern sky surveys. By studying ultra-faint galaxies and astronomical objects, researchers will aim to learn more about galaxy formation, growth, and how they interact with nearby structures – including other galaxies.
The Huntsman Telescope made from an array of commercially available Canon lenses. Source: Macquarie University.
Inspired by the US-based Dragonfly Telephoto Array, the Huntsman Telescope uses an array of 10 Canon EF400mm f/2.8 L IS II super-telephoto lenses. Remarkably, it uses commercially available photography equipment you can buy off the shelf. Canon spruiked the lenses’ anti-reflection technology that uses a nano-fabricated coating with sub-wavelength structures on optical glass. One of the suggested benefits is that such an array differs from a regular mirror telescope, the latter of which can produce small errors due to imperfectly polished surfaces. Such errors can interfere with observing faint details surrounding galaxies.
One researcher excited about the Huntsman Telescope’s prospects is Macquarie University’s Dr Lee Spitler, who will serve as Hunstman Principal Investigator. The device might yield insight into a potential event 4.5 billion years into the future: a collision between the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies.
“The Huntsman Telescope is pioneering the way in which we view our Southern skies by capturing images of the faintest galaxy structures that conventional telescopes simply couldn’t,” Dr Spitler said. “The ability to observe the remnants of galaxies colliding with each other and searching for the faintest and smallest galaxies in the universe, will help us understand the potential fate of the Milky Way in the far distant future.”
The Andromeda Galaxy as captured by the Huntsman Telescope. Source: Sarah Caddy.
The view from through the Huntsman Telescope dome. Source: Macquarie University.
The Tarantula Nebula as captured by the Huntsman Telescope. Source: Sarah Caddy.
Members of the public keen to see the telescope in person will have the chance on October 1 to coincide with StarFest. For now, the device named after one of Australia’s most well-known spiders will start collecting data each clear night. More information about the Huntsman Telescope is available on the Macquarie University website.
After the awe-inspiring images from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope earlier in the month, it’s exciting to see more space observation projects happening locally. In the meantime, there are plenty of impressive images to whet our collective astronomical appetite.
The Arlo Go 2 is a specialized security camera. While you can connect it to your Wi-Fi network, it has its own LTE (4G) connection as well. This means that you can use it in places where you might not have a Wi-Fi signal, such as on a far corner of your property, farmland, in boats and RVs, construction sites or even campsites. How you use it is up to you, and as it’s weather proof, you don’t need to keep it under cover. While it has a rechargeable battery, you can add an Arlo solar panel so you never need to recharge it or connect power cables. It will also keep working during a power outage. With all this in mind, we tested out the Go 2 to see how it worked on the, well, ‘go’.
First looks
First thing you’ll notice is that the Go 2 is fairly large compared to other Arlo cameras, such as the Ultimate, Pro or Essential models. This is likely because of its large battery rather than to make room for a 4G SIM card or LTE antennas. And it’s a good thing too, as you’ll want the battery to last as long as possible considering it might be far away or out of reach.
Getting the Go 2 up and running was farily straight forward, provided that your 4G SIM is already working. We used one from Amaysim but first needed to plug it into our phone to get it registered on the network. Once that was done and inserted into the Go 2’s SIM slot, we ran the Arlo Secure app to add it to the camera dashboard. Here, you’ll be given a choice of connecting it to a Wi-Fi network or using a 4G / LTE signal. We chose 4G and were then shown a QR code to point the camera at. If it successfully ‘sees’ the QR code, which it did in our case, it connect to the app and finishes the process.
The Go 2 is quite a bit larger than the Arlo Ultra (on right)
Arlo Go 2 – Price and Features
RRP: $429
Warranty: 12 months
1080P (full HD) resolution
Weatherproof case and seals
Colour night vision
Spotlight (illuminates up to 7.6 meters)
2-way talk (full duplex)
Long battery life (13,000mAh)
Wi-Fi & 4G (LTE) network compatibility
Mounting bracket
GPS location tracking
Built in siren
MicroSD memory card for local storage
The Go 2 is packed with features. The key differences that separate it from other Arlo security cameras, such as the Ultra, Pro and Essential models are its 4G connectivity, large battery and GPS location tracking. The 4G provides the ubiquity to use it anywhere there’s coverage, while the huge 13,0000mAh battery maximises time between charges. This is especially handy if you place the Go 2 in a remote location.
The GPS tracking is a great way to locate your camera if it’s stolen or you have multiple units on your property, such as a farm, and need to see where each is situated. You check the Go 2’s located by visiting a map in the Arlo Secure app.
Other than these features, the Go 2 has a spotlight that can illuminate up to 7.5 meters and motion tracking can be set to 7 meters away.
There are SIM and MicroSD card slots available (left). Our Amaysim test network installed (right)
And like the top of the range Ultra, the Go 2 has its own MicroSD card, so you can store videos in the unit itself instead of in the cloud.
For images and videos, there’s a 1080p / full HD sensor. This is lower than the Pro and Ultra’s 2K and 4K respectively. The resolution choice is likely to keep image sizes small, so they require less bandwidth for send to the cloud via the 4G network. Otherwise, there’s a similar 12x digital zoom, night vision and two-way talk as found in the Essential and Pro models.
Subscribe for more features
While you can buy security cameras for less, the more premium brands such as Arlo offer a lot of advanced capabilities as part of a subscription service called Arlo Secure. This includes object detection, which uses AI to analyse what your camera is ‘seeing’. It can detect pets, people, packages and vehicles, so you can choose what events you want to be notifed about. You can also assign activity zones in your image and exclude areas that you don’t want the camera to notice. This helps cut down simple ‘movement’ notifications where things like a tree blowing in the wind might trigger an alert. See too many of these and you’ll stop paying attention to the important ones.
The Arlo secure plan gives you 30 days worth of storage for your videos, along with interactive notifications that embed the video clip into the message. There’s even continuous video recording for an additional fee.
Setting up happens in the app and worked without a hitch
Arlo Secure costs $4.49 per month for one camera or $14.99 for unlimited cameras. Without the subscription you still get access to live video streaming through the app and motion notifications. More Arlo Secure plan pricing.
In action
Using the Arlo Go 2 is quite straightforward. You can mount the camera on the included bracket, which allows for a wide range of motion, or it can be placed on a shelf, desk or some other unobtrusive place.
The camera’s settings can be configured in the Arlo Secure app. This includes doing a motion test to decide how sensitive it should be, along with tweaks to camera brightness, low light settings, enabling the floodlight and more.
The mounting bracket (left). Charging cable snaps on with the help of a magnet (right).
We added the Go 2 to our other Arlo cameras, and can manage all of them in the Arlo Secure dashboard. As with the other cameras, there’s a 5 or so second delay for enabling the live feed or switching on the spotlight, etc., however, this is fairly standard for all security cameras.
While it does support Amazon Alexa and Google Assistants, we were not able to add the Go 2 to Apple’s HomeKit smart home ecosystem. While most Arlo camera are compatible, this feature may be added later with a software update.
Performance
Given that the Go 2 has a 1080p resolution, images aren’t quite as sharp as some of Arlo’s other cameras, and can’t zoom in to reveal quite as much detail, such as a car license plate number. However, for most purposes, the resolution is completely adequate. We tested the camera’s performance in direct sunlight, as well as in the dark. We did notice that when pointed into direct sun, the camera does struggle to show detail in darker parts of the scene, and it doesn’t support High Dynamic Range like other Arlo models. This isn’t a major problem as it happens only when the camera is pointing towards the sun.
With night motion detection and recording, the Go 2 can either rely on its IR vision or use the spotlight for night colour vision. We found both to work quite well, and the spotlight’s intensity and range is impressive at over 7 meters.
You can also listen in to the camera’s surrounding via the built-in microphone, which picks up a reasonable amount of ambient noise. The 2-way-talk feature is full duplex meaning you can speak and hear at the same time, rather than a walkie-talkie like experience where you press a button to speak and then listen for a response.
The Go 2’s huge (and removable) 13,000mAh battery (left). Arlo with its case off (right)
Battery life should be quite long, even a month’s worth, however this is highly dependent on how it’s used. For example, how sensitive the camera’s motion detection is along with how often and how long it records. We didn’t test the camera long enough to drain the battery, however, as mentioned earlier, it can connect to an Arlo solar panel accessory if you don’t want to ever worry about charging.
GadgetGuy’s take
The Arlo Go 2 is a smart option for those who need to add security to wide open spaces or are not in range of a Wi-Fi network. It’s $429 price is higher than a standard ‘premium’ Wi-Fi camera, however, its 4G capability, larger battery, GPS and other features are what you’re getting for the extra money. Depending if you want to pay for a subscription to Arlo Secure, there are plenty of advanced motion detection features on offer as well. If not, there’s still plenty of quality features included for the price to help you keep watch over your valued items, property or even just to watch the apples in the orchard grow.
What’s in the box?
Arlo Go 2 Camera
Wall mount screw kit
Rechargeable battery
Mounting screws
Magnetic charging cable
Quick start guide
Arlo Go 2 – Specifications
Video resolution
1080p
Video format
H.264
Night vision
850 nm LEDs: illuminates up to 25 feet
Imaging
12 x digital zoom
Audio
Speaker, Microphone
Motion
Adjustable up to 23 feet, instant email alerts and push notifications
Audio
2-way audio. Instant email alerts and push notifications
Battery
13,000mAh rechargeable battery. Battery life varies based on settings, usage, & temperature
The Arlo Go 2 is your go-to camera if you want to secure your outdoor space and don't have a Wi-Fi connection. It's built to survive the weather and has a long battery life and lots of features on tap.
Features
8.3
Value for money
8.5
Performance
8.5
Ease of use
9
Design
9.2
Positives
4G/LTE and Wi-Fi connectivity so you can choose which to use
Large battery for long battery life
Easy to use Arlo Secure app
Option to connect a solar panel to eliminate charging anxiety
Easy to set up and get running
Advanced object, people, pet and vehicle detection if you want it
Negatives
Advanced image detection available as part of an additional cost / subscription plan
HD resolution is OK, nice to have a higher resolution to see more detail
Supporting Dolby Atmos and packed with streaming features, the Bose SB900 soundbar aims to give your lounge room an audio overhaul.
While today’s 4K and 8K televisions deliver a stunning picture, their super-thin design means they can be found wanting when it comes to sound quality. That’s where it pays to upgrade to a sound system which helps bring movie night to life.
Of course, not everyone has the budget or the space for a true “surround” sound system with speakers spread around the room. The compromise is a soundbar which sits below the screen to deliver bigger, bolder sound.
The SB900 is Bose’s first Dolby Atmos-capable soundbar, letting you get the most from the high-end soundtracks on Ultra HD Blu-ray discs and some streaming services.
Along with the ability to throw sound around the room to create a wide soundstage, it also features upwards-firing speakers to help recreate Atmos’ sense of height and deliver more immersive sound.
You can read other GadgetGuy Bose news and reviews here
First impressions
The Bose SB900 soundbar sports a surprisingly slender design for one which packs in so many speakers. At only 5.81 cm tall, it can likely sit on the bench in front of your television without blocking your view of the screen. Alternatively, you can mount the soundbar on the wall, below a wall-mounted screen.
The clean design includes a glass top which features touch-sensitive buttons so as not to spoil the look from the front. The upwards-firing speakers are also subtly inset so as not to draw attention, ensuring it doesn’t look out of place in your lounge room.
There’s a thin LED light bar below the buttons which indicates the status of the soundbar with a confusing array of colours and patterns. It doesn’t act as a power light, assumingly so as not to distract you from your movie. There are times when you can find yourself wishing for some kind of front display, such as the volume level or which audio source is selected.
At the back, you’ll find indents which place the inputs on a 45-degree angle rather than pointing straight back – making it easier to mount it on a wall or push it back against a television base without the protruding cables getting in the way.
One disappointment is that there’s only a single HDMI port on the back, along with digital optical. This is fine for running audio from your television to the soundbar via eARC HDMI cables, but some people might prefer a second HDMI port as a pass-through so they can run sources like disc players into the soundbar and then run the picture out of the soundbar to the television.
There’s also an Ethernet port on the back, accompanying built-in Wi-Fi, to support the soundbar’s wide range of streaming features which make it easy to fling audio around your home.
Indents at the rear assist with cable management.
Set up
While the soundbar looks quite elegant, the remote control is rather basic and clunky. That’s in part because many of the soundbar’s advanced features can only be accessed via the Bose Music smartphone app (iOS/Android), which is required to set-up the soundbar before first use.
The app can link to a range of streaming services including Spotify, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn, Deezer and iHeartRadio.
Acknowledging it’s limited access to advanced features, the physical remote sports six preset buttons which you can configure to play audio from your favourite music services without the need to reach for your phone.
The soundbar’s initial set-up includes calibrating the speaker to the room using Bose’s ADAPTiQ technology. Different vendors approach this in different ways. Some units have built-in speakers to listen to the acoustics of the room, while others come with an external speaker which connects by cable and can be placed around the room. Some Sonos units require you to do a rain dance with your phone to capture the acoustics of the room.
With the SB900, Bose supplies a headset which connects to the soundbar via a long cable. The set-up then instructs you to sit in different places around the room, wearing the headset, so it can hear what you’ll hear and adjust the audio characteristics to suit.
If you want to bump up the sound, Bose offers an optional subwoofer for $949 and optional rear surround speakers for $529. Of course, by the time you’ve spent all that, you might have been better off looking at a true surround sound system.
Within the app you can access a two-band EQ, along with control of the centre channel and height channel. There’s also dialogue boost mode, which is handy at night so you don’t need to constantly ride the volume in an effort to hear the dialogue without waking the household during the noisy scenes.
The underwhelming physical remote control leaves you overly-reliant on the smartphone app to access advanced features.
Bose SB900 soundbar specs
Channels
5.0.2
Audio formats
Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus
Inputs
HDMI eARC, optical
Connectivity
Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
Dimensions
5.81 cm H × 104.5 cm W × 10.7 cm D
Weight
5.75 kg
Colours
Black or White
Features
When it comes to enjoying movies and TV shows, the Bose SB900 soundbar is designed to support up to Dolby Atmos sound – thanks to nine speakers precisely arranged in the cabinet.
That’s two tweeters, four transducers, a centre tweeter and those two upward-firing dipole transducers.
Bose’s PhaseGuide psychoacoustics technology helps bounce sound around the room to create a sense of surround sound, but it naturally can’t trick you into thinking there’s a speaker behind you.
One of Dolby Atmos’ strengths is a sense of height, although it’s obviously not as impressive from an upwards-firing soundbar as it is from a true surround system with speakers in the roof. When you’re not listening to an Atmos soundtrack, Bose TrueSpace technology remixes stereo and 5.1-channel sound to recreate that sense of height. There’s no way to disable this, which could frustrate purists.
The lack of DTS support, downmixing to PCM 2.0, also might frustrate some people, depending on what’s in your video library. Many Blu-ray movies don’t offer 5.1 Dolby Digital sound. Instead, they feature a 7.1 DTS-HD soundtrack which, on a DTS-less sound system, leaves you listening to upscaled 2-channel sound.
The soundbar also has a lot to offer music lovers, with support for Chromecast, Apple AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect streaming from devices around your home such as smartphones, tablets and computers.
There’s also two-way Bluetooth support, letting you connect your devices to play music or connect Bose Bluetooth headphones to listen to music or sound from the television.
That internet access is also put to use supporting Google Assistant and Amazon’s Alexa. You can either call on them with their wake phrase or press the button on the top of the soundbar to get their attention – which seems inconvenient considering that most home entertainment gear has a wake button on the remote control. There’s also a mute button on the soundbar when you want your smart assistant to stop listening.
Bose Voice4Video technology expands Alexa’s voice capabilities. In addition to controlling the soundbar, she can also control your television and connected devices.
Bose SB900 soundbar Quality
Out of the box the sound is a little underwhelming, but ADAPTiQ calibration helps bring it to life with more full-bodied sound. The bass still feels a little underdone on the default settings, but you can bump this up to suit your tastes.
The Bose SB900 soundbar delivers an impressively wide soundstage, but the sense of height is less pronounced than rival Atmos soundbars such as the Sonos Arc, Samsung HW-Q90R and LG SL10YG. You can also adjust the height settings to make the effect more pronounced, which only makes a slight difference.
The soundbar does a great job with Dolby Atmos soundtracks, keeping everything tight in the moving car fight scene in Deadpool. When it comes to Atmos’ sense of height, the B-24 bombing raid in Unbroken isn’t as impressive as I’ve heard on other high-end Atmos soundbars.
The quality gets a little uneven when you’re listening to 5.1-channel audio and relying on BoseTrue to extrapolate, such as the foyer fight scene in The Matrix. It can get a tad murky in places. BoseTrue’s attempts to add a sense of height are most noticeable when it comes to high-end sounds like breaking glass and bullet shells hitting the ground.
When it comes to music, the SB900 can hold its own but sounds a tad bright if you favour the richer sound of its Sonos rival. It performs admirably with nuanced music like acoustic guitar and jazz, but can get a tad murky in the middle when hard rockers take the stage.
GadgetGuy’s take
The Bose SB900 soundbar ticks a lot of boxes, especially if you’re already a Bose fan and own Bluetooth headphones which will connect to the soundbar. It looks great in your lounge room and it’s packed with streaming features for flinging music from your various devices.
The soundbar does a fine job with Atmos soundtracks, even though that sense of height isn’t the best in the business when it comes to soundbars with upward-firing speakers. Make sure you weigh it up against the Sonos Arc, especially if you’d make the most of Sonos’ more extensive multi-room ecosystem.
Would I buy it?
Maybe, but only if I was sure the Sonos Arc wasn’t right for me
Bose SB900 soundbar: listen up (review)
Adding Dolby Atmos and a range of streaming features to your lounge room, the Bose SB900 soundbar is the full package.
