Internet sluggish? Boost your WiFi
Is your broadband humming away in the lounge but a bit slow in the bedroom or home office?
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By May 31, 2021 most New Zealand banks will no longer be accepting cheques for deposit. This is mainly due to the fact many customers are now opting for digital payment options. Cheques may already seem like a thing of the past for some, but for others, yet another change to the traditional way of doing things may seem a bit daunting.
Not to worry! There are some simple ways to substitute the old with the new, and once you get the hang of it, new technology can make life that little bit easier.
Here’s our top 5 technology replacements.
The way we have traditionally done banking is changing with more emphasis on online. We’ve recently seen many branch closures, especially around regional New Zealand and the country’s major banks are no longer accepting cheques as many opt to make online payments.
Internet banking is super simple once you get the hang of it and it also saves you waiting in line to speak to a bank teller.
Many of the major banks have some great how-to guides on their websites with videos and steps that are easy to follow. Including ANZ’s Ways to Bank, BNZ’s online banking guides and ASB’s how-to guides. If you can’t find your bank’s how-to guides, you can always give them a call and they’ll direct you to the right place.
It’s also worth getting in touch with external groups like Senior Net, who run various courses to support those still trying to navigate their way through new technology.
First it was records, then came tapes and more recently, CDs. Now there’s no need to carry a physical album at all as you can find almost every music track you could ever think of on some of the many music streaming sites found online.
Download a music streaming service like Spotify or Apple Music on your smartphone or tablet and start searching for your favourite hits. It’s far more cost effective than buying albums and it means you can flick between artists, create playlists and find suggestions for new music.
Then all you need to do is link your device to a Bluetooth speaker like Ultimate Ears or Sonos, a petit replacement for your classic stereo. Most TV speakers also have Bluetooth capability these days too. If you’re unsure where to start- it’s worth visiting your local tech store and they’ll help you find something to suit your budget.
During the Covid-19 lockdown, video calling applications helped us have face-to-face communication with work colleagues, customers, and loved ones. Wherever they were in the world.
Because it worked so well, many people still use video calling apps today when working from home or catching up with friends and family.
With most people having a smart phone, tablet or PC to video call (or a cellphone for when a quick text message or call will do the trick!) the need for a landline has gone out the window.
Check out our guide to the best free video calling apps here.
It’s extremely rare to come across a video store these days. The growth in television and movie streaming sites like Netflix, Neon and Apple TV means there’s really no need to drive down to the shop and take out a rental.
Streaming channels have every genre you can imagine. They’ve got the old classic movies and the straight out of the cinema movies. They’ve also got films and series produced purely for their own sites… and they’re usually pretty good.
With a basic Netflix plan of just $11.99 per month – it’s an affordable way to access unlimited movies and series.
Most modern smart TVs already have the streaming services on them, though if you’ve just got a basic TV – you can download the applications on your smartphone or tablet and look at investing in a Chromecast to transport the content onto your big screen. Ask your local tech store about a smart TV or Chromecast for streaming TV and movies.
To make the most of this technology you need a fast and reliable internet connection like fibre broadband. See what broadband options are available at your address using our broadband checker.
Is your broadband humming away in the lounge but a bit slow in the bedroom or home office?
Having fast internet access is no longer a nice to have. Whether it’s watching streamed content, web browsing, video calling or smart appliances, the way we live now means reliable and fast broadband is an essential utility that needs to work when we need it.
Having fast and reliable broadband is essential in the digital world we live in. The fact is though, while broadband plans are often described as being fast and super-fast, to ensure you get the advertised speeds, a number of things need to line up.