The year has once again come to an end quite quickly. Rude! This also means the holiday season is here, so the Queens are making some cheeky gift suggestions for you to get your loved ones - especially if its for yourself. First up, Rae has fallen in love with the HidrateSpark Pro , partially because it makes drinking water a competition. And let the record show that a mere five years ago she instructed Tegan to rip on smart water bottles over on Gizmodo . Oh how times have changed. Speaking of ...
Nov 30, 2022•26 min•Season 1Ep. 150
In this episode, the Queens travel back to 16th-century Bavaria to help solve a murder mystery that spans almost 25 years. Well, not literally. Tegan has been playing the hell out of Pentiment , the latest game by Obsidian that takes the player into a world where it very much feels like art and manuscripts have come to life to tell stories of intrigue, betrayal (and yes, murder) in the Alps, against the backdrop of religious reformation. Every decision matters and anything you do or say could al...
Nov 27, 2022•37 min•Season 1Ep. 149
In this very special gadget chat, Rad and Rae are left to their own devices to test, well, some devices. On the tech menu is the brand new Apple TV 4K, the AnkerWork B600 Video Bar and the very fancy July luggage. As a sidebar, Tegan has also been testing a July backpack, so stay tuned for a future episode for that! Full show notes are available on the Queens of the Drone Age website . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informat...
Nov 23, 2022•33 min•Season 1Ep. 148
If you've been online at all over the past few weeks, you've probably caught a whiff of rapid decline of Twitter. Since Elon Musk was forced to spend a cool court-ordered US$44 billion on the platform, each day has brought a fresh crop of twists, turns, backflips, and of course, memes. If it feels like things are changing every few hours: yes. There will probably be something new by the end of this sentence. It's been tricky to keep up as the plot increasingly thickens so we're here to catch you...
Nov 21, 2022•32 min•Season 1Ep. 147
In this deep dive episode from the archives, the Queens are looking at accessibility in tech. Amanda shares her experiences with epilepsy, Tegan looks at some of Apple’s accessibility features and Rad explores AI-assisted prosthetics. The queens also discover what the typewriter was originally invented for. Full show notes are available on the Queens of the Drone Age website . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Nov 16, 2022•25 min•Season 1Ep. 146
In this episode from the archives, the Queens debate whether gadgets getting increasingly bigger is getting out of hand – literally. We've seen the trend of big phones, televisions, and computer monitors ebb and flow over the past few years. We lived through the era of phablets, and now we’re seeing behemoth 85” TV’s become a common size being offered. So from plus-sized phones to giant IMAX screens, is bigger actually better? Scientifically (and personally)? Full show notes are available on the...
Nov 13, 2022•26 min•Season 1Ep. 145
The Queens are digging into tech-based solutions for some of the things that are contributing to, or being caused by, climate change. Rad explains urban heat islands and how city infrastructure is significantly heating up specific pockets of land across the country. She also looks at some of the potential solutions and how class and wealth factors in. Tegan heads to Canberra for budget lock-up, where she broke the story about this being the first federal budget to introduce a country-wide EV tax...
Nov 09, 2022•20 min•Season 1Ep. 144
Later this week we've got a climate change deep dive, and we thought we'd lead up to it with a look at some environmentally focused products! Rae spills the tea on the Philips Eco Conscious kettle and toaster, which is made from sustainable bio plastics. Rad gets saucy with a lamp in the shape of a soy sauce fish packet, and Tegan opens up the Queens Garage for a first look at the cheapest EV currently available in Austrlaia: the MG ZS EV. Visit the Queens of the Drone Age website for full show ...
Nov 06, 2022•35 min•Season 1Ep. 143
Oh baby, it's camera Christmas! Rad gets hands on with the new flagship Fujifilm X-H2 and the just announced Fujifilm X-T5. She runs through some of the specs, differences, and shooting experience. Then Rad and Amanda chat about one of technology's most unsung heroes: glass! From bulletproof (or bullet resistant) glass, to Pyrex, to whether or not glass windows slowly melt over the years - the Queens peer through and make it shiny. You can find show notes at the Queens of the Drone Age website ....
Nov 02, 2022•32 min•Season 1Ep. 142
Sure, new tech is cool... but what about very, very old tech? In this Deep Dive the Queens discuss the lost art of Damascus steel, ancient mechanical computers, steel wire recordings, and the iconic boomerang. This Deep Dive was originally released as part of episode 14: Roger Federer Is A Boomerang. You can find show notes at the Queens of the Drone Age website . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Oct 30, 2022•20 min•Season 1Ep. 141
For this year's Halloween Special, the Queens were going to go on a ghost hunt, but we already did that and don't wanna get double haunted. So instead we're delving into the horrifying world of mushrooms and fungi. Don't get us wrong, they're awesome. But they can also rate pretty highly on the creep scale. Their interconnected mycelium network, how they spew spores around the place, and how fast they can pop up overnight - it's wild. But there are some particularly special mushrooms and fungi t...
Oct 26, 2022•29 min•Season 1Ep. 140
The Queens have been shoving something a little bit special in our ear holes recently. Don't be weird, they're earphones! Specifically, the brand new Apple AirPods Pro 2nd gen . We’ve been playing stuff through them for a few weeks now and have some thoughts about the updated sound quality, noise cancellation and comfort factor. They also now have pinpoint location tracking, which we love because our mushy brains are forgetful sometimes. On the food tech front, Amanda hit up Dodee Paidang Thai i...
Oct 23, 2022•23 min•Season 1Ep. 139
It's time for round two of Queens of the Drone Age's recap of Melbourne International Games Week! And when we say games we mean GAMES. In this episode, Tegan talks about two Aussie indie games that caught her eye - the Meccano-esque transportation challenge of Mars First Logistics and the 1950's bartending game Six O'Clock Swill. Keeping up the celebration of Aussie indies, Rae considers leave horse heads in beds with The Godfeather. (Not really - the game is actually a mafia pigeon roguelike wh...
Oct 19, 2022•29 min
The Queens headed south for Melbourne International Games Week (MIGW). While there Rad hosted High Score, Rae attended the Games Connect Asia Pacific conference (GCAP), all four Queens hosted the Australian Game Developer Awards (AGDAs) and then they all played loads of games at PAX Australia. There was too much cool stuff to fit into one episode so you're getting two parts this week! In this episode, Amanda and Tegan play Yum Cha, a gorgeous card game by Quokka Games. Rae also talks about the i...
Oct 16, 2022•28 min•Season 1Ep. 137
We're not sure if you noticed, but the Queens love some gadgets. Rae hits the road with the Uniden DashView 50R and tries her best not to end up on the Dash Cam Owners Australia YouTube channel. Meanwhile, Rad puts the Suunto Peak 5 to the test and Amanda gets EXTREME with the GoPro Hero 11 Black. That's a lie, she filmed very sensibly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Oct 12, 2022•24 min•Season 1Ep. 136
In this gadget chat, Rae tries and fails to successfully use the Belkin SCREENFORCE™ TemperedCurve 2-in-1 Treated Screen Protector + Bumper for Apple Watch Series 7 (yes, that's its full name). She also explored if screen protectors are even necessary, digging into what materials modern screens are made of - and just how hard they really are. Meanwhile, Rad takes a look at Samsung's new OLED TV range and we chat about why it's so important to adjust your TV settings. Full show notes are availabl...
Oct 09, 2022•25 min•Season 1Ep. 135
In this Deep Dive, the Queens take a look at one job the robots should have taken from us long ago - cleaning. From cleaning via Artificial Intelligence, to science to get the mould off your silicone, to giant wardrobe machines that refresh your clothes - we've got you covered. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Oct 05, 2022•28 min•Season 1Ep. 134
In this week's gadget chat: Amanda exposes us all to the joys and horrors of Pokemon created by an Artificial Intelligence generator, Rae shares her own horror story with a journey through iOS16 hell and Rad gives us the ins and outs (and twists and turns and bends and folds) of the Lenovo Yoga 9i. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Oct 02, 2022•29 min•Season 1Ep. 133
For thousands of years, extreme beauty treatments have been a thing. Humans are obsessed with finding new ways to make themselves feel beautiful - from urine-laced teeth whiteners to tapeworm diet pills. So in this episode, the Queens look at some modern beauty tech marvels, including foundation robots and acne treatments. Tegan even personally tests out a cryotherapy chamber. Full show notes are available on the Queens of the Drone Age website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone....
Sep 27, 2022•22 min•Season 1Ep. 132
iOS 16 is now officially here! So this week Tegan (who has cheekily been using it since the dev beta) runs through her top 3 features so far. And if you're wondering about the iPhone 14 , the Queens got their hands on a few models so stay tuned for our review in the near future. Meanwhile, Rad clears the air (quite literally) with the very fancy Samsung BESPOKE air purifier , and emphatically shares that she's found the best phone accessory ever: Spigen Flex Strap . Plus, Amanda reports back on ...
Sep 25, 2022•25 min•Season 1Ep. 131
Tech can be good; but it can also be bad, and very, very ugly. In this deep dive from the archives, we take a look at some lofty promises tech could not live up to - like video streaming platform Quibi, exploding hoverboards, 3D TV's, Uber (but it's just a bus), and a $400 machine that gives you "fresh" juice from a vacuum sealed packet. Full show notes are available on the Queens of the Drone Age website . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listene...
Sep 21, 2022•21 min•Season 1Ep. 130
Science Fiction is the land where all our technological fantasies flourish. From flying cars to lifelike holograms to teleportation, sci-fi has given has a rich catalogue of wishlist items that may even be possible one day (if it weren't for those pesky laws of physics). In this deep dive from the archives, the Queens chat about all the things sci-fi has conjured that they wish they could get their grubby little hands on: like the toasting knife from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, to Men In B...
Sep 18, 2022•23 min•Season 8Ep. 129
In this Deep Dive special from our archives, it's all about the best ways to actually buy the tech we talk about. The Queens reveal their insider hints and tips and tricks - and warnings - when it comes to handing over your hard-earned cash in return for some shiny electronics. Full show notes are available on the Queens of the Drone Age website . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Sep 14, 2022•22 min•Season 1Ep. 128
The Metaverse isn’t a new concept, and it certainly isn’t one exclusive to the blockchain space. Over the years, there have been plenty of online communities and spaces that fit the brief. In this deep dive, the Queens revisit the metaverses we used to haunt online - from Habbo to Second Life - while also taking a look at the mental health impacts of these spaces. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Sep 11, 2022•27 min•Season 1Ep. 127
From the original eyeglasses and questionable 19th-century contacts to bionic eyes; we're going back to the week the Queens explored everything about pimping your peepers. Full show notes are available at the Queens of the Drone Age website . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Sep 07, 2022•26 min•Season 1Ep. 126
Sure we've talked about foldable phones before, but what about laptops with foldable screens? This week the Queens check out the ASUS Zenbook 17 Fold OLED and surprise themselves with how taken they are with it. And not just because of the bendable screen. From the detachable wireless keyboard to the fancy leather case, this foldy boi is pretty special. Rae and Tegan also get into Card Shark - a gorgeous adventure-meets-card game where you steal and deceive your way through 18th century France b...
Sep 04, 2022•21 min
You know how old-school villains would threaten to steal weather machines? It turns out, weather alteration technology is absolutely a real thing that is being used to make it rain during droughts and lessen the impact of cyclones. But it hasn't just been used for wholesome purposes. It's also been harnessed to guarantee good weather during certain Olympic Games and weaponised during wartime. While we're on weather, the Queens also look at what La Niña actually is (and its real-world impact), as...
Aug 31, 2022•24 min•Season 1Ep. 124
The Queens hit the road in a very special electric vehicle. Tegan has spent the week testing the Audi e-tron S Sportback , which costs a casual $175,000. She and Rae even managed to drive it around the Blue Mountains so they could report back on all their favourite features (and there are a LOT)...and stick Tegan in the boot. They also touch on the current state of the EV market in Australia. Meanwhile, Amanda has been playing I Was A Teenage Exocolonist - a narrative RPG with card battling elem...
Aug 28, 2022•30 min•Season 1Ep. 123
Time isn't real, meaning it's nearly Father's Day again. So the Queens are bringing that Big Dad Energy with some gift recommendations for whoever in your life deserves a nice treat at this time of year. Tegan is all about the outdoorsy dad, recommending the very fancy Leatherman Free P4 and Bose Soundlink Flex outdoor speaker. The fact she actually wants these things for herself is irrelevant. Rae targets cooking dads (or those who need a little help in the kitchen) with the Meater - a smart me...
Aug 24, 2022•26 min•Season 1Ep. 122
Another week, another gadget chat! In this episode, Tegan reviews the Logitech Aurora range: a group of PC gaming accessories aimed at women. She puts the headset, keyboard, and mouse to the test - from the design and ergonomics to the comfort and price point. Rae also gets on the hiking trail with a set of Uniden walkie-talkies . She specifically looks into the Kid Zone feature and what safety (if any) it actually offers. Meanwhile, Rad checks out a deeply specific gadget that targets the vagus...
Aug 21, 2022•34 min•Season 1Ep. 121
