If you're planning to pick up a shiny new smartphone during Black Friday, you might be tempted to compare the specs of various models. Is the iPhone XS' bionic A12 processor any better than the Samsung Galaxy Note9's Snapdragon 845? And what about cameras? Are more megapixels always better?

Well, here's the thing. While it's fun to compare specs (we're guilty of doing it ourselves), all those competing numbers are essentially meaningless. Here's why.

Chinese smartphone makers have been dominating the mid-range smartphone market as they look to cater to a growing audience priced out of flagship devices. Two most impressive new smartphones at this price point are the Oppo R17 Pro and the OnePlus 6T. So which one should you plunk down your hard earned for?

Google's messaging options are a mess, and it just rolled out a new tool to muddy the waters even further: Android Messages, but on the web. It gives you access to your Android SMS chats through a web browser, and lets you send and receive messages. So does it make life any easier for those in Google chat purgatory? And does it get Google any closer to catching up with the likes of iMessage and WhatsApp?

Google and Samsung are locked in a battle at the premium end of the Android smartphone market, and one of the reasons why you might pick a Google Pixel 2 over a Samsung Galaxy Note 8 - or vice versa - is the on-board software. We put the two flagship devices side by side to see how Pixel Android compares to Samsung Android.

This week, I attempted to get my head around wireless headsets by testing two of the best business models on the market: the H800MB from Logitech and the 660 UC MS from Sennheiser. Ostensibly designed for office use, both headsets are suitable candidates as your primary headset: but which one is best?

Microsoft have made it even more difficult to choose which Surface product to buy with the release of the revised Surface Pro and the new Surface Laptop. Which one do you buy? Which one is better? Surface Pro. Surface Laptop. Surface Pro. Surface Laptop. The mental back-and-forth is real. We've put together this nifty guide to help you decide which one is the right one for you.

The greasy sizzle of delicious meat on a grill is a staple of Aussie summer. But as everyone breaks out the barbecue grill, paper plates, and "Kiss the Cook" aprons, a debate older than charcoal briquettes rages in the minds of grillmasters everywhere, along with their hungry audience: Do you want a burger? Or a hot dog? ("Both" is certainly an option, but not for the purposes of this showdown.)

Vegetarian? I'm so sorry.

Even if your conversational partner can't hear you laughing or see you smiling, it's important to express your appreciation of a joke or a funny story. The many popular options can be boiled down into two types: The hahaha of simulated laughter, and the lol of metaphorical laughter.

Whether you're new to anime or already a harcore fan, there are two streaming services that you need to know: Crunchyroll and Funimation. One brings you subtitled simulcasts of shows currently airing in Japan, while the other provides dubbed versions of all-time favourites. Either way, you'll have more anime than you'll ever be able to watch. Let's see which one is best for your viewing pleasure.

Jack London said every writer should keep a notebook. "Travel with it, eat with it, sleep with it," London said. "Lead pencil markings endure longer than memory." It's sage advice, but then again, Jack London didn't have Google Docs, Microsoft Word, or OneNote. This week, we test the classic battle of man versus machine to see which is better for journaling.

Sunscreen is sunscreen, so you'd think the way you apply it doesn't really matter. However, choosing between cream or lotion and a spray-on sunscreen can impact the likelihood you'll use it, the amount of coverage on your skin, and even the actual protection you get. Let's find out which might be better for you in this sunscreen showdown.

2016 was a truly massive year for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Both consoles received significant hardware upgrades, bringing the total number on the market from two to five. (Not including HDD variations.) In addition, Xbox and PlayStation owners were treated to a host of new features that were absent during launch. Microsoft's Xbox Play Anywhere merged the worlds of console and PC gaming, while Sony decided to bet big on virtual reality with PlayStation VR.

So which console ended up on top? We'll let you be the judge of that. To help you decide, here are the highs and lows that were experienced by both.

Today's 4K TVs come in a wide range of prices; from less than $500 to over ten grand. But how much difference does this make to the picture quality? In a bid to find out, we pitted Aldi's ultra-cheap 65-inch 4K TV against one of the most expensive 4K models on the market. We also asked "normal" people if they could tell the difference. Here are the results.

For years you've been saying you're going to scan all the photos you have in shoeboxes in the basement. Now's as good a time as any. There are a few smartphone apps that will help you with this so you don't need to pay someone or drag out a scanner to do it, but Photomyne and Google's recently released PhotoScan are the two top choices.

Google has been synonymous with search for years, and Bing -- poor Bing -- quickly became synonymous with sarcasm about why anyone would ever use Bing. Believe it or not, though, the two search engines aren't as different as the jokes would have you believe.

Apple's iPad Pro and Microsoft's Surface Pro 4 look a lot alike. Both are big tablets, both connect to slim keyboard covers and both offer a stylus for drawing and note-taking. But after spending some time with these potential laptop replacements, I found that they're really quite different, particularly when it comes to productivity.

Sous Vide cooking is appealing because it promises restaurant level results in the comfort of your own home. By maintaining a constant, precisely-controlled temperature, you don't have to worry about overcooking expensive steaks or delicate seafood. The previously esoteric cooking method is gaining popularity, and circulators are being designed with the home cook in mind. Picking (and paying for) such a fancy kitchen toy can be a little daunting, but we're here to help.

And so we arrive at one of the most debated topics at present; diesel versus petrol. The efficiency of each, no matter your choice of vehicle, is a factor that can save you financially and also protect the environment. It's a small decision with the potential for big impact. Here's what you need to know.

Once you set your sights on a race, it changes your training. The question today is, should we dream small or dream big? Should you aim for a fast and fun 5K sometime soon, or commit yourself to a full marathon of guts and glory?