COMPARETechManPat editorial
Topical explainers, practical analysis and informed opinion covering the technology Australians use and the things Compare helps them choose.
Latest
71 published · covering 12 editorial topics
Independent editorial
Firefighters spent five days cooling and removing damaged batteries from a system at a Chatswood golf course and retirement village. That is serious—but the manufacturer, chemistry, capacity, purpose and cause have not been made public, so it cannot be treated as a verdict on every battery installed beside an Australian home.
Independent editorial
A new US national-security restriction is broad enough to catch many connected robot vacuums, lawnmowers and pool cleaners. It does not name individual brands, ban robots already in homes or apply directly in Australia—but it gives buyers a good reason to look beyond suction power and ask what their robot sees, uploads and keeps.
Independent editorial
Australia's independent NBN speed league table has published its 33rd and final report. The good news is that fixed-line providers have largely converged. The difficult part is that choosing between them now requires looking beyond one download number.
Independent editorial
Camera installations are climbing, but the best evidence does not support treating CCTV as a force field. Cameras are most valuable when they detect trouble, preserve useful evidence and sit behind good locks, lighting and an alarm.
Independent editorial
These are not opposites. Both are expensive, bagless robot vacuum-mops built around a continuously cleaned roller. The real question is whether the X11's stronger test results justify paying A$1,000 more than the Dyson.
Independent editorial
Electricity networks say their poles, crews and regulated funding could unlock kerbside charging at scale. Charger companies and retailers warn that letting a monopoly into a competitive market could leave every electricity customer paying more.
Independent editorial
Flinders University researchers have found a clever way to stop iodine wandering inside a water-based battery. The cycle-life result is genuinely striking, but almost every number needed to sell a home battery is still missing.
Independent editorial
Australians bought 23,510 battery-electric vehicles in July—more than one in every five new vehicles sold. The rise is real, but a record sales share does not automatically make an EV the right choice for every driveway.
Independent editorial
Australia has crossed an important broadband milestone, but a faster line into the house does not guarantee faster Wi-Fi inside it. Before replacing your router, identify which part of the connection is actually holding you back.
Independent editorial
Two brands better known for cleaning floors are making a much bigger play for Australian lawns. The specifications look impressive, but the navigation system—and the shape of your yard—matter more than the largest number on the box.
Editorial judgement and recommendations stay separate from commercial relationships.
A brand-funded story carries a prominent sponsored-editorial disclosure at the top—not a faint footnote.
Important claims link to primary sources, with publication and update dates shown clearly.
