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Bill Bennett
Freelance journalist.
Auckland-based Bill Bennett writes technology and business stories that are directly relevant to New Zealand readers.
His emphasis is on telecommunications, but he also covers other aspects of technology and business. You can find his features in the New Zealand Herald and hear him regularly on RNZ Nine to Noon and the NZ Tech Podcast.
Bennett's The Download Weekly newsletter is published every Friday. You can sign up for it here.
If you want to support his work, you can make a donation to his PressPatron account.
Bill Bennett - Latest News [Page 28]
5G mobile challenge for New Zealand carriers
Thursday, 16 August 2018, 1:19 pm | Digitl
New Zealand's mobile carriers are keen to talk about 5G mobile. Telecommunications equipment makers are even keener to talk about it. They have more to gain in the short term. It's possible they have more to gain in the long term too. More >>
Oppo R15 Pro review: An Android chasing the iPhone
Thursday, 16 August 2018, 12:47 pm | Digitl
Android phone makers often borrow ideas from Apple. Oppo takes this further than its rivals. Oppo’s need to emulate Apple runs through Its phones like Blackpool through a stick of English seaside rock. More >>
Best phones 2018: Handsets to consider
Thursday, 16 August 2018, 12:46 pm | Digitl
This year's phones are better than last year's. They alway are. The best phones are great, yet 2018 has not been a vintage year for mobile innovation. More >>
Sluggish demand dents Samsung profit
Thursday, 16 August 2018, 12:43 pm | Digitl
Samsung reported a second quarter operating profit of US$13.4 billion. That's up 5.7 percent on the same time as a year ago, but behind analyst expectations. Revenue for the quarter dropped 4 percent year-on-year. More >>
Education, technology and digital divides
Thursday, 16 August 2018, 12:41 pm | Digitl
As education minister, Hekia Parata upset New Zealand's tech sector by not elevating digital technology teaching to the level they asked for. More >>
Service quality needs Commerce Commission scrutiny
Thursday, 16 August 2018, 12:35 pm | Digitl
The Commerce Commission says retail telecoms service will be one of its priorities for the next year. More >>
Samsung DeX Pad review
Tuesday, 24 July 2018, 6:33 pm | Digitl
Samsung’s $180 DeX Pad is a docking station that turns a Galaxy S9 or S9 phone into a desktop computer . On paper it looks like a good idea. In practice it's not as useful as you might expect. At least not for most people. More >>
What the Fortnite update tells us about NZ telecommunication
Tuesday, 24 July 2018, 6:28 pm | Digitl
Imagine if at 9pm one Thursday evening there was a sudden 20 percent surge in demand on the electricity network. At the very least there would be a few households reaching for candles and electric torches. More >>
Oppo R15 Pro review: An Android chasing the iPhone
Tuesday, 24 July 2018, 5:49 pm | Digitl
Android phone makers often borrow ideas from Apple. Oppo takes this further than its rivals. Oppo’s need to emulate Apple runs through Its phones like Blackpool through a stick of English seaside rock. More >>
Best phones 2018: Handsets to consider
Tuesday, 24 July 2018, 5:44 pm | Digitl
This year's phones are better than last year's. They alway are. The best phones are great, yet 2018 has not been a vintage year for mobile innovation. More >>
Surface Go: Tempting, but no iPad challenger
Thursday, 19 July 2018, 12:38 pm | Digitl
At NZ$700, Surface Go rounds out the bottom end of Microsoft's tablet-to-laptop range. It's a small, thin tablet with a 10-inch screen. No doubt people will compare it with another small, thin 10-inch tablet: Apple's NZ$540 iPad. More >>
Samsung DeX Pad review: Nicely done device almost no-one nee
Wednesday, 18 July 2018, 4:24 pm | Digitl
Samsung’s $180 DeX Pad is a docking station that turns a Galaxy S9 or S9 phone into a desktop computer . On paper it looks like a good idea. In practice it's not as useful as you might expect. At least not for most people. More >>
Dealing with the pay wall economy
Sunday, 15 July 2018, 3:10 pm | Digitl
Ben Brooks gets close to the heart of the problem with pay walls when he writes Subscription Hell . It's hard to make money from pay walls. More >>
Lack of innovation hurts phone makers
Sunday, 15 July 2018, 3:06 pm | Digitl
Reuters reports from Seoul : Samsung is expected to post its smallest profit growth in more than a year in the second quarter, as lackluster sales of its premium Galaxy smartphones overshadow its highly profitable chip business. More >>
Potential entrant means regulator wants to keep mobile roami
Sunday, 15 July 2018, 2:48 pm | Digitl
The Commerce Commission wants to continue regulating mobile roaming. At present it can make Spark, Vodafone or 2degrees give a new network owner wholesale access. This is part of the Telecommunications Act. More >>
PC shipments up: Recovery or dead cat bounce?
Sunday, 15 July 2018, 2:46 pm | Digitl
PC shipments are up for the first time in 6 years. No-one is talking about a revival yet. It could be what finance industry people call a dead cat bounce. More >>
Framing Facebook: It's not about technology
Thursday, 5 July 2018, 11:27 am | Digitl
Put aside for one moment the recent headlines. Forget about Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg facing politicians in Washington. And park everything you've heard about Cambridge Analytica. More >>
Review: Nokia 6.1, 7 Plus phones showcase Android One
Thursday, 5 July 2018, 11:17 am | Digitl
Google's Android phone operating system is often a mess when compared with Apple's iOS . Android One aims to fix that. You can't get it on phones from Android market leaders like Samsung or Huawei . At least, not yet. Nokia, with nothing to lose, ... More >>
Closing New Zealand's rural-urban digital divide
Thursday, 5 July 2018, 11:11 am | Digitl
Clare Curran says: “We have to do more than better connectivity”. The minister for broadcasting, communications and digital media was speaking about the digital divide at last month's Tuanz Rural Connectivity Symposium in Wellington. More >>
2018 iPad: More iPad, fewer dollars
Saturday, 5 May 2018, 5:40 pm | Digitl
Apple’s sixth generation 2018 iPad is a bargain. In New Zealand it costs NZ$540. For many people it is all the computer they will ever need. More >>
