Queens of the Drone Age

In this episode from the archives,  the Queens are exploring online safety and the murky world of scams. And it’s not all dodgy calls and texts. They also dig into the fascinating subject of social engineering, what that means and how humans are often the most fallible system of all. Full show notes are available on the Queens of the Drone Age website. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy infor...

In this episode from the archives,  the Queens are talking about the science and tech surrounding death in the modern world – from Euthanasia rollercoasters and shovel buddies to using your ashes to grow mushrooms. Full show notes are available on the Queens of the Drone Age website .  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We dig into the QOTDA archives for a holiday-themed special, with a deep dive into the history and science behind fireworks - and new drone alternatives. Rad also insists that humans are descendants of moths, while Tegan and Rae discuss homemade sparkler bombs with a suspicious amount of detail. Full show notes for this episode are available on the Queens of the Drone Age website .  See omnystudio...

Happy Boxing Day, mates! As a special holiday treat, Rae and Rad recorded a cheeky extra 2022 episode for y'all. Rae returns to the Apple AirPods Pro to talk about a surprising function - helping with her hearing. Meanwhile Rad takes a run at the Samsung 32-inch Odyssey Neo G85B Curved QLED UHD Gaming Monitor . Try saying that five times fast after over-eating during the Chrissie break. We'll stil...

In this episode from the archives, The Queens chat cult tech. And no, not tech used specifically by cults for some reason. Although that might end up being the topic of a future episode... Instead, it's those products that people get super intense about. Like Tesla, Peloton and Vitamix. Full show notes are available on the Queens of the Drone Age website. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy in...

This week the Queens look back at some of their favourite gadgets and games of 2022 - a year that has gone on for approximately one decade. Tegan massages her eardrums with the Sony WH-1000XM5 (from episode 109 ), but also lays down some honourable mentions for the Google Pixel 7 Pro (from episode 151 ), M2 MacBook Air , M1 iPad Air (from episode 154) , Cult of the Lamb and Pentiment . Amanda brin...

We usually have to smash through reviews in a matter of weeks here at Queens of the Drone Age. So many gadgets, so little time. But we also really value lived experience and the more in-depth perspective that gives us on products long-term. So in this episode we're looking at some of the things we have been using long-term this year, including their weird quirks and the things we still deeply love...

  The Queens have spent the last few months thoroughly testing the Apple Watch Series 8 AND the brand new Apple Watch Ultra . While they probably won't be engaging in extreme sports anytime soon, even the most skeptical of Queens found themselves surprised by their love of the new mad lad, even on their small bird wrists.   Will the Ultra and it's insane battery win out in the end, or do they ulti...

This week's deep dive is a little more literal as the Queens look at seaweed and what's being done with it to help save the planet. Tegan covers Perth-based startup ULUU, which is using beer brewing techniques to turn seaweed into an alternative to plastics. This is a big deal because seaweed captures more CO2 than trees, meaning this process is also removing it from the ocean. It is also quicker...

This episode the Queens are trying three very different gadgets. Rae's dog Mia had a canine cold and was coughing phlegm up all over the carpet, so she invested in a Bissell Stain Eraser Pet . It's a wet vac that is specifically designed to clean up pet mess and is even cordless! Rad and Tegan have also been playing with the new Google Pixel 7 and Google Pixel 7 Pro . We all know Rad has incredibl...

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 inst...

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, aga...

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...

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 thi...

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 you...

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 scre...

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, wh...

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 curr...

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 Que...

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....

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...

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...

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 hor...

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 epis...

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/adchoice...