TechLife July 2022

Remember the bad old days of internet security? You’d need a raft of often conflicting apps to keep your machine safe. Or you’d settle for an all-encompassing suite of integrated programs... but it would chug your system to the point of unuseability, or be near impossible to uninstall. We’re looking at you, Symantec! Well, thankfully, those days are long past, and who do we have to thank? Microsoft! Back in those bad old days of internet security Microsoft’s baked-in solutions in Windows were considered a joke, but these days Windows Defender is more than capable of being the only tool you need. And the best bit... it’s completely free, and already installed. Of course, there are some great paid-for security solutions, and this issue we rate the best of them, too. But for…

Ascomp PDF-compress Provides PDF compression so you can optimise your PDF files so they don’t take up much storage space. Ascomp PDF-compress provides PDF compression so you can optimise your PDF files so that they don’t take up more storage space than necessary. Depending on the structure and content of the PDF document, up to 95 percent compression can be achieved. In a test with more than 1,000 randomly selected PDF files from different sources, an average compression ratio of close to 50 percent was achieved. Ascomp PDF-compress uses different approaches to compression. For example, images contained in a document can be lossless compressed, special optimisation technology (MRC) can be applied, and blank pages and annotations can be removed from the PDF structure. Optionally, image quality may also degrade in stages, and…

From $2,399, www.lenovo.com The Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 7 takes one of the best 2-in-1 laptops to the next level. New features include a powerful 12th Gen Intel Core i7 processor, a higher resolution camera and a bigger touchpad. Though it doesn’t have the same battery life as its predecessor, the 2-in-1 retains the same stylish design and unique rotating soundbar that impressed us before. The new OLED makes the entire package all the more enticing. This is an overall solid laptop that’s ideal for work and play. It’s light enough to comfortably carry wherever you go and its 2-in-1 functionality makes it double as a competent, if somewhat cumbersome, tablet. Design & display The Yoga 9i has a slim aluminum unibody chassis, measuring 318 x 230 x 15.25cm and weighing 1,5kg. Discreet Yoga…

There are currently more outdated apps on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store than ones that are frequently updated according to a new study. The study from the analytics firm Pixalate, titled The Abandoned Mobile Apps Report, shows that Apple’s recent announcement that it will soon begin deleting apps that haven’t been updated in quite a while makes a great deal of sense despite the fact that it wasn’t well received by developers. Netflix confirms the end of your password sharing – and it’s coming soonThe streaming giant is cracking down... To compile its report, Pixalate crawled through both the App Store and Play Store looking for what it has deemed abandoned apps, or those that have gone two or more years without being updated. The analytics firm found over 1.5m…

Microsoft has revealed a new line of adaptive accessories to help people with disabilities who struggle with the typical keyboard and mouse layout. Announced during Ability Summit 2022, the new devices are the Microsoft Adaptive Mouse, Adaptive Button, and the Adaptive Hub. Each one was made working closely with community members in order to create the best possible products that enable people with disabilities to use apps more easily. The Adaptive Mouse is made of three individual pieces: a central core, thumb support, and a mouse tail. The last two are accessories that can be attached to the core in order to meet the needs of the user. For example, larger grips can be attached to the core for an easier grasp and will work equally as well for left-handed or right-handed…

From $2,499, www.apple.com/au The Apple Studio Display is here, and it looks fantastic. This is the first monitor Apple has launched since the Pro Display XDR in 2019, and the Studio Display delivers many of the same benefits in a smaller, more affordable form. Like the Pro Display XDR, the Studio Display offers useful features for creative professionals, including a range of reference modes and P3 wide colour gamut support. But it also has unique features that any Mac user can enjoy, like a killer (for a monitor) six-speaker sound system and a 12MP ultrawide camera that supports Apple’s Center Stage feature, courtesy of an onboard A13 Bionic chip. Design Even the best monitors on the market don’t offer features like a built-in 12MP ultrawide camera, a six-speaker sound system, a triple-mic array and…