Following on from the release of its official coronavirus information app, the Australian Government has now launched its voluntary CovidSafe tracking app with the goal of tracing the spread of Covid-19 more accurately.
Available now for Android and iOS, the CovidSafe app works by recognising and keeping track of other devices with the app installed and Bluetooth switched on, essentially keeping a record of the people (who have also opted in) who come within 1.5 metres of you for a period of at least 15 minutes.
The idea is that the app will speed up the current process of notifying people who have been in close proximity to someone with Covid-19.
The CovidSafe app will take note of the "date, time, distance and duration of the contact," as stated by the Department of Health's website.
If diagnosed with Covid-19, users will have the option of consenting to the release of their contact data, in turn allowing the app to get in touch with other users who have been in close proximity to the affected patient.
While the app's source code has not been released at this time, Twitter developer Matthew Robbins has independently decompiled the Android app and has found it to be "above board, very transparent and follows industry standard," as reported by Ausdroid.
Privacy
According to the CovidSafe app's privacy policy, the Australian Government will ask for your consent to collect your mobile phone number, name, age range and postcode.
The collected personal data will reportedly be encrypted and stored on your device alone and will be automatically deleted after 21 days. If you are under 16 years of age, a parent or guardian will have to consent for you.
For the app to work, the site admits that some data will have to be recorded elsewhere. This includes "the encrypted user ID, date and time of contact and Bluetooth signal strength of other COVIDSafe users with which you come into contact."
The policy states that a new "encrypted user ID will be created every 2 hours," however, this information "will be logged in the National COVIDSafe data store, operated by the Digital Transformation Agency, in case you need to be identified for contact tracing."
The data store is described as a "cloud-based facility, using infrastructure located in Australia, which has been classified as appropriate for storage of data up to the ‘protected’ security level."
As for how long your data will remain in the cloud, the Department of Health's website states that "We will delete all data in the data store after the COVID-19 pandemic has concluded as required by the Biosecurity Determination."
Your data will reportedly also be deleted if you uninstall the CovidSafe from your device or if you "upload your contact data to the data store."
The policy stresses that "No location data (data that could be used to track your movements) will be collected at any time." The Australian Government has also released a more thorough 78-page Privacy Impact Assessment in PDF form.
Other issues and concerns
For the CovidSafe app to work effectively, your device's Bluetooth will need to remain switched on at all times so that the app can continuously ping other users. Of course, this is expected to drain your phone's battery life quicker than usual.
While Android devices will be able to run the CovidSafe app in the background, meaning "you can use your phone as normal without having to open or check COVIDSafe," the app FAQ stipulates that iOS devices will need to "Keep COVIDSafe running and notifications on when you're out and about, especially in meetings and public places" – a barrier which could prove a nuisance for many.
That said, while the app certainly has its drawbacks, it appears to be secure and seems to take users' privacy into consideration.
With this in mind, potential users will need to weigh these minor downsides against the app's proposed benefits – namely, a far more accurate way of tracing the spread of coronvirus, which should in turn help speed up Australia's return to normalcy (or something like it).
While the folding smartphone concept is seen as a gimmick by many, it must be said that Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip has done a decent job of ensuring its bendy design is practical as well as functional – the ability to video chat hands-free by placing the half-folded handset on a table is one especially clever example.
Having already collaborated on foldable versions of Maps and the Play Store, Samsung and Google are teaming up once again to bring similar functionality to YouTube's Android app, announcing that it's now compatible with Galaxy Z Flip's 'Flex' mode.
When viewed on a partially folded Galaxy Z Flip, the YouTube app will now split in two, with the top half of the display becoming a dedicated video player, allowing the user to simultaneously read comments and search other videos on the bottom half.
According to Samsung, the YouTube app was redesigned "from the operating system level," a feat that involved "integration of the Android Support Library", which will in turn make it "easier to bring Flex mode to more third-party services."
Admittedly, widescreen videos will continue to look as small as they normally would when viewed on a phone held in the portrait implementation, but the ability to watch content hands-free is cool nonetheless.
Having held out for the past 18 months, Epic Games has today thrown in the towel and made Fortnite for Android officially available on the Google Play Store.
Since Fortnite's launch on Android back in August of 2018, Epic Games has skirted Google's mobile storefront by making its staggeringly popular battle-royale shooter downloadable exclusively as third-party software, meaning it's been unavailable through the Play Store marketplace.
Epic Games has issued harsh words about digital storefront monopolies in the past, with company CEO Tim Sweeney once citing the 30% cut of revenue taken by Google's Play Store and Apple's App Store as "illegal" in a statement.
Them's surrenderin' words
Having apparently come to the conclusion that it's been fighting a losing battle, Epic Games has officially relented and placed Fortnite up for download on the Google Play Store, explaining its decision to do so with the following statement:
"After 18 months of operating Fortnite on Android outside of the Google Play Store, we’ve come to a basic realisation: Google puts software downloadable outside of Google Play at a disadvantage, through technical and business measures such as scary, repetitive security pop-ups for downloaded and updated software, restrictive manufacturer and carrier agreements and dealings, Google public relations characterizing third party software sources as malware, and new efforts such as Google Play Protect to outright block software obtained outside the Google Play Store,” reads the statement. “Because of this, we’ve launched Fortnite for Android on the Google Play Store.”
The statement continued, “We hope that Google will revise its policies and business dealings in the near future, so that all developers are free to reach and engage in commerce with customers on Android and in the Play Store through open services, including payment services, that can compete on a level playing field.”
Apple's free pass
Of course, it's worth noting that Apple's App Store policies operate in an almost identical fashion to Google's. However, Epic Games never had the option of releasing Fortnite as third-party software for iOS devices, instead opting to just kowtow to Apple's terms since day one.
We have reached out to Google for an official comment on the matter, and will update this story if the search giant provides a response.
Having already positioned itself in Australia as the go-to alternative to big-name phone brands, Realme is gearing up to take things a step further, announcing that its newest numbered smartphone, Realme 6, will release on April 23, alongside its own cheaper substitutes to Apple's AirPods and Fitbit's Inspire fitness band.
Priced at just AU$469, Realme 6 boasts a number of impressive features which are usually reserved for flagship handsets, including a FHD+ display with optional 90Hz refresh rate, a Helio G90T octa-core CPU, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage (with a slot for microSD expansion).
It also offers a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, NFC functionality for contactless payments, dual-SIM slots, a large 4,300mAh battery with 30W VOOC fast charging capability, and it runs Android 10 out of the box.
The phone's big standout feature, however, is the inclusion of a quad-camera on its rear, which offers a 64MP primary sensor, a 8MP ultra-wide lens, a macro lens for close-up photography and a B&W portrait lens. On the front, you have a 16MP camera embedded in a tiny pinhole for selfies.
Realme 6 will be available to purchase from Realme's online store, JB Hi-Fi, Bing Lee, Make it Mine, Mobileciti, 5GWORLD, Essential Appliance Rentals, Amazon, Kogan, Catch.com and eBay from April 23.
On the periphery
Along with its latest numbered smartphone, Realme announced a pair of competitively priced peripherals that will be released alongside the handset on April 23.
Looking nearly identical to Apple's AirPods, Realme Buds Air are true wireless headphones which offer 3 hours of playback and an additional 17 hours when combined with their included charging case. Realme states that some form of noise cancellation is also offered, but only during phone calls.
Priced at AU$149, Realme Buds Air will be available in white, black and yellow colour options, which you can see below.
Additionally, the Chinese manufacturer also announced a new fitness wearable for the Australian market in the Realme Band, which is also affordably priced at AU$99.
Looking very much like a Fitbit product, the Realme Band sports a 2.4cm colour screen and touch button, and brings IP68 water resistance, a built-in high precision heart rate sensor and intelligent sleep analysis features, along with the ability to track nine sports/activities (yoga, running, spinning, cricket, walking, weight training, hiking, climbing and cycling).
In terms of colours, Realme Band is offered in black, yellow and green, which you can check out below.
Both the Realme Buds Air and Realme Band will also be available to purchase from Realme's online store, AusPost, Make it Mine, Mobileciti, 5GWORLD, Essential Appliance Rentals, Amazon, Kogan, Catch.com and eBay.
Sensing that the world needs all the entertainment it can get during this time of social distancing and self isolation, Facebook has fast-tracked the release of its Facebook Gaming mobile app, as reported by the New York Times.
Originally planned for a June release, a representative for the social network has revealed that the Facebook Gaming app could arrive as early as tomorrow.
The app will reportedly launch on Android devices first on April 20, as Facebook waits for Apple to approve a version of the platform for iOS devices.
“We’re seeing a big rise in gaming during quarantine," said Fidji Simo, head of the Facebook App, talking about the reason for the social media giant pushing the release of its Facebook Gaming app forward.
“Investing in gaming in general has become a priority for us because we see gaming as a form of entertainment that really connects people,” said Simo, further explaining that “It’s entertainment that’s not just a form of passive consumption but entertainment that is interactive and brings people together.”
A new place to livestream
Set to take on the likes of Twitch, Mixer and YouTube Gaming, the Facebook Gaming app will provide users a new destination to watch and create livestreaming content based around mobile games.
Additionally, it's expected that the Instant Games feature that was once present in Messenger will make its way over to Facebook Gaming, allowing users to compete against each other in bite-sized games such as Words With Friends and Galaga.
The first phase of Hisense Australia's 2020 TV range has been officially revealed with the announcement of its Q8 ULED and S8 UHD lineup, along with further plans to bring its 8K range Down Under later in the year.
Available from mid-May, Hisense's quantum dot-sporting Q8 ULED range offers an updated full-array local dimming system which brings targeted backlighting across hundreds of zones on the panel, allowing for near-OLED black levels.
Meanwhile, the more affordable S8 range opts for a less-impressive direct-lit system which offers several rows of LEDs along the panel. Thankfully, both the Q8 and S8 ranges offer Dolby Vision HDR support.
Additionally, the Q8 ULED range is powered by Hisense's new Hi-View engine and runs on the updated VIDAA 4.0 smart TV platform. Other standout Q8 features include built-in speakers which allow for Dolby Atmos audio, 200Hz smooth motion capability and support for Alexa and Google Assistant.
100-inch behemoth
Of course, the S8 UHD range has an enormous card up its sleeve with the inclusion of a mammoth 100-inch model, priced at AU$14,999 and available from July. The rest of Hisense's S8 range will go on sale from early-May, with the exception of the 85-inch model which will arrive around mid-June.
That said, if you've got a bit more cash to spend and are willing to wait, Hisense also plans to release an 8K ULED range later in the year, along with new Dual Cell TVs, which essentially bond two LCD displays on top of each other, allowing them to control luminance and colour individually – a technology which Hisense says "rivals OLED black levels."
In the meantime, here's a complete pricing and availability list for Hisense's Q8 ULED and S8 UHD TV lineup:
Just weeks after its global reveal, Huawei's photography-focused P40 and P40 Pro smartphones are now officially available to purchase in Australia.
The new Huawei flagships are undeniably premium from a design standpoint, possessing stunning OLED displays on each handset, with the larger P40 Pro's 6.58-inch screen proving a particular highlight with curved glass on every edge.
The Huawei P40 series is no slouch when it comes to specs, either, with each handset boasting the Chinese company's new Kirin 990 5G octa-core chipset and 8GB of RAM.
Additionally, you get 128GB of storage and a 3,800mAh battery on the P40, while the larger P40 Pro gets 256GB of storage and a 4,200mAh battery with Huawei 40W SuperCharge functionality.
It's all about the cameras
We all know that Huawei's P-series handsets are all about photography, and this is where the P40 range really shines. Both the P40 and P40 Pro sport Leica-branded cameras with 50MP primary sensors, though each handset's camera array differs beyond that.
Huawei P40 features a 50MP wide angle lens with f/1.9 aperture, along with a 16MP ultra-wide camera with f/2.2 aperture and an 8MP telephoto camera with f/2.4 aperture.
Meanwhile, the P40 Pro differs by accompanying the 50MP main sensor with a 40MP ultra-wide 'Cine Camera' (f/1.8 aperture), a 12MP telephoto (f/3.4 aperture) and a 3D depth sensing camera. Combined, the P40 Pro's cameras aim to take on Samsung's Galaxy S20 Ultra by offering 50x hybrid zoom functionality.
That's all well and good, but should you buy it?
With Huawei's continued placement on the US entity list, the Chinese manufacturer is still unable to offer support for Google apps and services on its handsets for the foreseeable future – that means no official access to the Google Play Store.
The fact of the matter is that Aussies will have to think long and hard before deciding to drop a significant amount of cash on Android handsets which lack official support for Google services.
Huawei P40 has been competitively priced at AU$1,099 and is available from Huawei's online store, Mobileciti, Harvey Norman, JB Hi-Fi, eBay, Domayne, Joyce Mayne, and Auptimal mobile.
Meanwhile, the P40 Pro will set you back AU$1,599 and is available from the same stores, along with The Good Guys and Officeworks.
If your love of Pokémon is stronger than your love of battery life, you may find these Pikachu-themed wireless earbuds from Razer to be of interest, as discovered by Zing Gadget from a post on Razer's Weibo account.
On sale in China from April 16 for ¥999 (around $141 / £112 / AU$220), the earbuds are a Pikachu-yellow variation of Razer's existing Hammerhead buds, and are adorned with a view of the iconic character from the rear.
Perhaps more desirable than the earbuds themselves is the included Pokéball charging case, which offers an additional 13 hours of use – an essential inclusion given that the buds reportedly offer only up to three hours of playback on their own.
Based on what we know about Razer's Hammerhead earbuds, the Pikachu-themed buds boast a 13mm driver unit, which should provide balanced audio and surprisingly deep bass. Razer's Hammerhead earbuds are said to offer a low input latency of only 60ms along with a splash-resistant IPX4-rated design. Additionally, the buds are touch-enabled and are compatible with your smartphone's voice assistant, so we're expecting this new variant to share the same features.
At present, there's no word on whether Razer's Pikachu-themed earbuds will receive a proper release in other markets, although if the situation changes we will surely let you know.
Following on from the reveal of Samsung Australia's 2020 TV range last week, LG has announced its own enormous lineup of televisions for the Aussie market, unveiling a whopping 27 sets in total.
The clear standout amongst the many LG TVs headed Down Under is the OLED88ZX, an 88-inch 8K OLED behemoth with a truly staggering AU$71,999 price point. LG also has a 77-inch model (OLED77ZX) on offer at roughly half the price (AU$35,999) for those getting a fancy telly instead of a new sedan this year.
Of course, with a TV lineup that's 27-deep, there are more than a few affordable options available, including far more reasonably priced sets in LG's NanoCell 8K range, which is essentially the company's high-end LCD offering.
Additionally, the South Korean electronics giant also announced new models in its 4K OLED and OLED Gallery ranges, several new NanoCell 4K TVs and a smattering of televisions in its entry-level UHD 4K range.
In terms of features, the TVs in LG's OLED and NanoCell ranges offer the new Dolby Vision IQ Filmmaker Mode, which is said to show films the way they were intended to be seen by their creators. This includes picture adjustment and the automatic switching off of motion smoothing, which is certainly something we can get behind.
While LG usually reserves its deep, inky blacks for its OLED ranges, the company has included Full Array Dimming across its LED/LCD TVs this year, allowing for near-OLED black levels and more targeted backlighting to specific parts of each display.
You can check out the full list of LG's 2020 televisions below, including pricing and availability.
Contradicting a recent report which predicted that the iPhone 12 range might be delayed until next year, a new specs leak from tech analyst Jon Prosser claims that prototyping for the upcoming handsets has been finalized, making a release in 2020 entirely possible.
Lining up with a report made by trusted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo late last year, the new leak seemingly confirms that the Cupertino company is working on four different iPhone 12 models for possible release in 2020.
Prosser's tweet says we can expect 5.4-inch and 6.1-inch standard iPhone 12 models, along with a 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Pro and a much larger 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max to round out the new range.
In terms of specs, each phone in the iPhone 12 range is expected to boast the rumored A14 chipset with 5G capability.
Standard iPhone 12 models will reportedly offer dual rear-mounted camera setups, while the iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max are each mooted to carry a triple camera array with additional LiDAR scanner for improved augmented reality – just like the iPad Pro 2020.
Design updates anticipated
Design-wise, the standard iPhone 12 models are said to sport aluminum bodies, while the higher-end iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max will allegedly boast stronger stainless steel frames.
Additionally, Prosser's tweet states that we can expect smaller display notches on the iPhone 12 range – a design choice that feels long overdue in 2020.
Prosser believes we won't have to wait too long to get an idea of what the new iPhone 12 models will look like, suggesting that CAD renders of the devices will likely surface in the near future.
Of course, none of the above information is set in stone, meaning we won't know for sure until Apple itself officially unveils its iPhone 12 lineup.
Less than three months after leaving beta, Microsoft's Chromium-based Edge browser has overtaken Firefox to become the second most popular web browser in the world, as reported by Bleeping Computer.
As of March 2020, Microsoft Edge holds 7.59% of the browser market according to NetMarketShare – a far cry from Google Chrome, which is far and away the most popular at 68.5%.
This finally puts Microsoft Edge ahead of Mozilla's Firefox – previously Chrome's biggest competitor but now in third place with just 7.19% of the browser audience.
Of course, Microsoft Edge's numbers would likely be even higher if not for the 5.6% of users who are still using Internet Explorer 11, putting the ancient browser in fourth position ahead of Apple's Safari browser, which holds just 3.62% of the market share.
While it helps that it's automatically the default browser on every Windows 10 installation, it's encouraging to see that true adoption of Microsoft Edge is really starting to take off.
For one, it proves that giving people what they want actually works – for years, Microsoft Edge was the browser I only ever used to download Chrome.
However, the fact that this version is based on Chromium means that sticking with Edge is no longer much of a leap in terms of day-to-day use.
Of course, there are plenty of reasons as to why people have started to flock to the new and improved Microsoft Edge.
Reasons to make the switch
Firstly, the Microsoft Edge add-ons store offers a wide variety of extensions which bring Microsoft Edge even closer to Google's Chrome browser in terms of functionality.
Add to this the promise that users will soon be able to easily install extensions built for Chrome, and the decision to switch to Edge becomes even more compelling.
Another big reason is that it's gotten a lot faster as of late, with recent benchmark results showing a 13 percent improvement in performance over previous beta versions of the app.
Then, there are the security benefits that come with using Microsoft Edge. A little over a month ago, it was announced that Edge will stop you downloading adware and cryptominers – an invaluable asset when it comes to protecting yourself against potentially unwanted applications (PUAs).
And, saving the best for last, Microsoft Edge will now finally let you ditch Bing for Google, meaning you can go back to using the world's most popular search engine leave the ridiculous term "Bing it" in the past where it belongs.
Based on a tip offered by one of the site's trusted readers, 9to5Mac believes that Apple may open orders for its entry-level iPhone as soon as tomorrow.
The site also says the new handset will simply retain the iPhone SE name, and will be referred to as the 2020 version in an attempt to avoid confusion. That's an assertion that's been backed up by Apple itself, as we'll get to at the end of this article.
Along with details discussed above, the leak also states that the new iPhone SE will be made available in White, Black and Product (RED) color variants, with Apple set to offer the handset with either 64GB, 128GB and 256GB of storage.
In terms of specs, previous reports have suggested that the rumored phone will feature the same A13 chipset used by the current iPhone 11, with 3GB of RAM and a 4.7-inch LCD screen. Its design is also expected to look nearly identical to that of the iPhone 8, the iPhone 7, the iPhone 6S and the iPhone 6.
Of course, all of the information listed above is far from concrete at this stage. For the time being, we'll have to wait for Apple to make the first move.
Apple reveals the iPhone SE name
A source very close to the matter has seemingly teased the iPhone SE name - Apple itself.
This comes from Apple's website itself (as spotted by The Verge), where a screen protector was listed as being compatible for the '4.7-inch iPhone SE'. The original iPhone SE had a 4-inch screen, and leaked iPhone 9 cases suggested the new device was 4.7-inches across, so it really seems what we knew as the 'iPhone 9' will actually be called the 'iPhone SE'.
The iPhone 9 name seemed an odd choice given the iPhone 11 phones were released recently, so it makes sense ditching that moniker, but reviving an older title is still rather confusing.
Following the launch of Disney Plus late last year, many fans of the classic animated sitcom The Simpsons voiced their displeasure upon discovering that the show's first 19 and a half seasons had been cropped or stretched to fit into the 16:9 format, effectively ruining a number of quality visual gags in the process.
The streaming service quickly responded by promising to fix the aspect ratio on The Simpsons in 2020, and now Disney has tweeted an official update on when subscribers can expect to see those episodes in the 4:3 format as originally intended.
According to Disney's tweet, the House of Mouse is working hard to "make the first 19 Seasons (and part of 20) of #TheSimpsons available in 4:3 versions", suggesting that viewers will have the option to choose which version they would rather watch.
Disney Plus also stated that it believes it will "accomplish this by the end of May." As for why the process is taking so long, it's likely that Disney has had to go back to the original source materials and remaster them all over again into HD.
While the game is only available on PS4 for the time being, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered will also arrive on PC and Xbox One on April 30.
Predictably, the remaster boasts a number of visual enhancements, such as HDR support and resolutions of up to 4K on consoles, while the PC version will be fully optimized, offering uncapped framerates and ultra-wide monitor support.
"No Russian."
As the name would suggest, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered will only include the single-player portion of the beloved game. Thankfully, that means the inclusion of such classic missions as 'Cliffhanger', 'Takedown', and the highly controversial 'No Russian'.
Of course, multiplayer enthusiasts haven't been left entirely in the cold – those who purchase the game will also receive the Underwater Demo Team Classic Ghost Bundle for immediate use with the current Call of Duty: Modern Warfare game and the free (and standalone) Call of Duty: Warzone battle royale mode.
The bundle includes a new UDT Ghost Operator skin, two weapon blueprints, a weapon charm, new finishing move, voice quip, animated calling card, emblem and two Battle Pass tier skips.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered has been priced at $19.99 (£19.99 / AU$35,95). You can check out the action-packed PS4 trailer below.
As the looming threat of Covid-19 intensifies, many Australians have rightfully taken the government's advice onboard by practising self-isolation and social distancing in an effort to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Whether you're staying home under self-imposed lockdown or under a doctor-ordered state of quarantine, self-isolation can be quite boring – particularly if you're usually a very outgoing person.
Thankfully, technology has made it easier than ever to keep yourself entertained while stuck inside your home. With that in mind, we've taken the liberty of putting together a helpful guide on how to keep yourself entertained during self-isolation.
Read on to learn more about how you can stave off boredom via Australia's available streaming services during this especially trying time in our history.
Australian movie & TV streaming services
For most people, being stuck at home will be a less-than-ideal situation. That said, it does present the perfect opportunity to catch up on all the TV shows and movies you haven't gotten around to. In fact, you could even choose to re-watch the ones you loved.
Thankfully, Australia has a number of excellent streaming services on offer which will allow you to watch (almost) anything your heart desires without having to leave your couch.
Netflix
The most popular option is Netflix, which offers a never-ending supply of original shows and movies from around the world, along with constantly-changing licensed content. Pricing starts at AU$9.99 per month for the entry-level tier (one screen in standard definition), all the way up to $19.99 for the full Ultra HD package with four simultaneous streams. Unfortunately, Netflix no longer offers a free-trial period. That said, we can't imagine you'll have difficulty finding something to watch on the service. Here here to sign up to Netflix. Here's how to watch Netflix with friends while self isolating.
Stan
Similar to Netflix in its pricing tiers, Australia's first major streaming service Stan starts at AU$10 per month for its one SD stream, followed by AU$14 per month for two HD streams and AU$17 per month for four 4K streams. It too offers original content, along with a large selection of first-run international shows that aren't available to stream elsewhere – though not quite as many as Netflix. That said, it does have a vast back catalogue of classic shows like Friends, Seinfeld and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. If that sounds good, you can sign up for Stan's free 30-day trial from its website.
Disney Plus
The newest streaming service to hit the Australian scene, Disney Plus offers an incredible back catalogue of the Mouse House's TV shows and movies – we're talking everything from the Mickey Mouse's original appearance in Steamboat Willy, all the way to modern Marvel blockbusters like Avengers: Endgame. Disney Plus has already started showing original content, such as the much-loved Star Wars series The Mandalorian, and you can expect plenty more in the near future. For a flat fee of only AU$8.99 per month for everything it has to offer, we highly recommend you sign up to Disney Plus for a free 7-day trial.
Amazon Prime Video Included with every subscription to Amazon Prime, this streaming service offers a growing library of Amazon Original shows and movies, along with access to a countless number classic shows and movies. Of course, an Amazon Prime subscription much more than just another streaming service – for a flat fee of AU$6.99 per month, you'll get a number of additional bonuses for shopping on Amazon Australia. These include access to Prime Reading, Prime Music and Twitch Prime, free two-day delivery on domestic purchases, early access to discounts and deals, huge savings on Amazon Prime Day and more – all things that will come in handy during your home quarantine period. Here's where you can sign up for Amazon Prime in Australia.
Foxtel Now While it's far more expensive than competing streaming services, particularly if you want to opt for every package on offer, Foxtel Now does offer many shows and movies that aren't available to stream anywhere else. For instance, the only place to stream HBO's extensive catalogue, including the likes of Game of Thrones and Westworld, is via Foxtel Now. Luckily, you can get started from only AU$25 per month (following a 10-day free trial) for mandatory Pop and Lifestyle packages, and if you're willing to spend more additional packages you can also access a huge selection of movies, sports and much more.
Apple TV Plus
While Apple's new subscription-based video streaming service is unable to compete with the likes of Netflix and Disney Plus when it comes to the size of its content library, it makes up for it by offering a very high quality shows from big-name talent across the board. At only AU$7.99 per month after 7-day trial, it's also fairly inexpensive, and if you happen to have bought a major Apple product recently, such as an iPhone or iPad, you will receive 12-months of Apple TV Plus for the fantastic price of 'free'.
Kayo Sports
Are you a sports nut? Well, you're going to love Kayo Sports – a streaming service dedicated to all things running, kicking, throwing, racing, jumping and... you get the idea. With Kayo, you get almost everything sports-related that's available on Foxtel for less than half the price. The Kayo Sports Basic Package provides two simultaneous streams for only AU$25 per month, while for AU$35 per month, you can sign up to the Kayo Sports Premium Package, which provides three simultaneous streams. Best of all, there are no lock-in contracts and you can try before you buy with a free 14-day trial.
10 All Access
The local Australian version of America's CBS All Access streaming service, 10 All Access offers a growing number of premium television shows (including originals) as soon as they're released. We're talking complete and up-to-date shows like The Bachelor, NCIS, Hawaii Five-0, Masterchef Australia, Survivor and Neighbours, along with exclusive originals like The Twilight Zone. You can even watch some before they've premiered on Network 10, and with the added bonus of absolutely no ads. Additionally, the services a live streaming 24/7 news service in the world-renowned CBSN, all for AU$9.99 per month. Join now and get your first month free.
Tubi
Trying to save money during these uncertain times? Tubi just might be the service for you. Relatively new to the Australian streaming landscape, the ad-supported Tubi is 100% free and offers an enormous number of C-grade movies and shows, cult classics and trashy gems, along with a selection of honest-to-goodness mainstream films from years gone by. All you need is a Facebook or Gmail account to login with and you're good-to-go. Of course, you will have to suffer the occasional pre-film 30-second advertisement, but you won't see any more ads for the remainder of the film or show you're watching. Check out Tubi for free right now.
Of course, there are also a large number of free streaming and catch-up services which offer ad-supported content. These include apps from all the major Australian networks, such as 7Plus, 9Now, SBS On Demand, ABC iview and 10play.
As for the rest of the paid streaming services we've covered, you'll find several comprehensive guides to the best shows and films they offer below.
If there's one thing the Covid-19 lockdown has given us, it's plenty of time to catch up on the latest video game releases. Luckily, the last couple of months have seen the arrival of some truly excellent games, which should help greatly during this difficult time.
On top of that, our time indoors has also afforded us the opportunity to conquer that growing pile of shame that every gamer has amassed.
You know exactly what we're talking about – that large collection of games that have for one reason or another been pushed to the side and neglected in favour of the next big blockbuster release that came out right after it.
Here's a list of recent game releases to play during this period of social distancing and self isolation.
Final Fantasy VII Remake
Final Fantasy 7 Remake is finally here, 23 years after the release of the original version on the original PS1. If you're an OG fan who's been waiting for this release with baited breath, you're in luck – it's absolutely fantastic.
This isn't your average remaster job, either – Final Fantasy VII Remake is completely new from top to bottom, hewing closely to the classic game's original story but taking advantage of modern-day graphics and gameplay. Apart from being a faithful re-imagining of the original game, Final Fantasy VII Remake expands upon everything that made this story great in the first place, offering full voice acting and cinematic cut scenes to rival the biggest Hollywood blockbusters in terms of quality and scope.
Out now for PS4, you can pick up a copy of Final Fantasy VII Remake from the deals listed below.
Following on from 2018's truly fantastic remake of Resident Evil 2, Capcom has returned to the well once again with a remake of Resident Evil 3, which was originally released 21 years ago.
As you might expect, Resident Evil 3 is very different experience in 2020, dropping the original game's fixed camera and opting instead for the same 3rd person camera view that helped make the Resident Evil 2 remake feel like a brand new game.
On PC. we played it in 8K at over 60fps (though there are some big sacrifices), and tested its performance with today's biggest graphics cards. However, if you aren't a big PC gamer you can still pick the game up for PS4 and Xbox One.
Here are the best Resident Evil 3 Remake deals currently available.
Doom Eternal
Doom Eternal is a beautiful, but brutal reinvention of the first-person shooter series that actually makes life at the moment look... not so bad. This ride through Hell is one of the best experiences you'll have in 2020.
Get ready to rip and tear through a never-ending swarm of aggressive demons to an incredible soundtrack of fellow Aussie Mick Gordon's crushing industrial guitars. You can find the best Doom Eternal deals in Australia below.
Animal Crossing
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is on the other end of the spectrum – it's a ready to lull you into a sense that nothing is wrong whatsoever like a good ASMR. This is fine. Everything is fine, says main character Tim Nook. Nintendo's cute social life sim is ideal for today's self-isolation situation. Read our Animal Crossing: New Horizons review and think happy thoughts.
One thing to note: while the new Animal Crossing is a must-have Nintendo Switch-exclusive, Doom Eternal is available on a wider set of platforms: PCs, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and even Google Stadia.
Sign up to Apple Arcade
Our best Apple Arcade games list now includes Crossy Road Castle, a platform title that thrives on its four-player local multiplayer gameplay (fear not, single-player is a choice, just in case confined at home alone). The frantic action reminds us of all the New Super Mario Bros. games and the old Castle Crashers game that never made its way to iOS somehow. Developer Hipster Whale provides the next best thing.
What's great about a game like Crossy Road Castle is that it's easy to get the entire family in on the multiplayer action thanks to Apple's family share feature. You're able to share this game with anyone in your iCloud family, and we just re-upped out Apple Arcade subscription (AU$7.99 a month) to do just that.
