Articles By Joseph Hanlon
Joseph Hanlon
Joe Hanlon has been immersed in mobile phones, plans and the internet for over a decade, having written for publications like CNET, Techradar, Gizmodo and Lifehacker. He steers the editorial ship and makes sure that we are always serving up the most useful guides and recommendations. If you ever bump into Joe on the street, don't be afraid to ask for a phone recommendation. It's embarrassing how much he enjoys talking about this stuff. He also loves listening to podcasts, so feel free to email Joe with recommendations.
Expertise
- Mobile phone plans
- NBN plans
- Telecommunications industry
- Smartphones reviews
Education
- Communications - University of Newcastle (1999 - 2002)
Featured Publications
Vodafone 4G live in 7 Aussie cities
Vodafone Australia today announced that 4G services have been activated in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide, Newcastle and Wollongong, with plans to triple its 4G footprint by the end of the year. The fast mobile broadband service is available now to existing Vodafone customers with compatible mobile devices, with plans for new customers to launch next month.
TPG ditches all mobile plans but one
TPG has removed all but one of its sim-only mobile plans, leaving its $17.99 option as a one-size-fits-all for mobile customers. The Aussie ISP previously had four options available, including a cheap $9.99 option and a $45 plan which included 5GB data and $3000 worth of calls.
Samsung Galaxy S4 review
Two years ago, when you bought your last phone, there's a good chance you thought about buying the Samsung Galalxy S II before spending your money on an iPhone. This may not be the case again this year. The South Korean manufacturing giant has been through an immense brand evolution in this short time, so much so that the Galaxy S4 is probably at the top of your new phone shopping list.
Optus broadband dumps excess usage into affordable 1GB blocks
Optus today announced big changes to its mobile broadband offering, ditching per megabyte excess usage charges in favour of 1GB blocks. With the new plans, customers choose a monthly data allowance as usual, but if they exceed this data level they are automatically allocated an additional 1GB for an extra $10. Further data blocks are added to the account as needed, up to a maximum of 20GB extra in a single month.
Exclusive: Vaya acquires Live Connected
Australian mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) Vaya has acquired 100-percent of competitor Live Connected for an undisclosed sum, with plans to continue running both mobile businesses as separate entities. The move adds Live Connected's 25,000 subscribers to Vaya's books, with the combined subscriber base for both MVNO businesses in excess of 70,000.
Commbank app reads QR codes for easier BPAY
The Commonwealth Bank has expanded the functionality of its Kaching! payment app for iPhone with the addition of a QR code reader to be used in conjunction with with new codes on BPAY compatible bills. The new feature is available now from the Apple App Store, and the QR code payment option will be on Australian Power & Gas and Sydney Water bills shortly. IT's easy to imagine more codes popping up quickly given how cheap and easy they are to create.
