Author: Stephen Fenech

Telstra says it will support a Federal Government review of data retention laws and the storage of that sensitive data in the wake of the recent Optus data breach. The company would also be in favour of verifying a customer’s data through biometrics like a fingerprint or facial recognition when needed rather than storing data for years. Telstra CEO Vicky Brady says Telstra uses the 100-point ID Check widely used across the industry (including Optus) which is used to verify customers’ identity with one primary ID plus one or two other secondary IDs or two primary IDs. “In recent years,…

Get updated and educated about the latest consumer tech news and reviews with Episode 523 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast hosted by editor Stephen Fenech On this week’s show: Google has unveiled is Pixel 7 smartphones and its first smartwatch, we’ll tell you about the app worried Optus customers are flocking to and AnkerWork product that allows you to have high quality video meetings anywhere. In the Tech Guide reviews, we take a look at the new Netgear Orbi WIFI 6E mesh system, we also check out the just released iPhone 14 Plus which is supposed to have the…

Bose has launched the new Smart Soundbar 600 – a compact soundbar that includes Dolby Atmos to bring immersive audio to your viewing experience. Whether you’re watching a movie, TV show or listening to music, the Bose Smart Soundbar 600 can deliver crisp dialogue, vocals, sound effects and instruments which appear to come from the left, right and even from above. It includes wi-fi, Bluetooth and Chromecast to give customers complete control of their streaming experience. The unit also works with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa for complete voice control for the soundbar and the connected TV. Bose SimpleSync makes…

TCL already knows a thing or two about display technology and it has just released the NXTPAPER 10s colour tablet with a screen that’s designed to look like paper that’s a lot friendlier to your eyes. The TCL NXTPAPER 10s has a 10-inch full high-definition paper-like display which has 73 per cent blue light reduction which reduces the impact of screen time on eye health for both children and adults. The device, which is running Android 11, also has an anti-glare finish so you’re not getting any reflections. Yet the TCL NXTPAPER 10s display still manages to deliver impressive bright…

Logitech has unveiled new “Designed for Mac” collection of keyboards and mice which integrate perfectly with Mac setups for a variety of use cases at home or in the office. The new collection includes the MX Mechanical Mini for Mac keyboard, MX Master 3S for Mac mouse and Lift for Mac mouse. “We know that Apple users value a consistent design aesthetic for their entire setup — work or home — and that they need mice and keyboards that work across their ecosystems,” said Delphine Donné, vice president and general manager of Creativity and Productivity at Logitech. “We’ve created a…

How do I improve my Wi-Fi? That is the question we get asked quite often and our answer is always the same – with a mesh system and Netgear’s new Orbi Wi-Fi 6E is the best you can buy right now. Having solid wi-fi at home is so important whether it’s to work or learn from home or to enjoy your favourite streaming services and play competitively online anywhere in your home. The real issue most Australians face is their NBN-issued modem/router is not always near their most important connected devices. The modem part is fine, but the reach of…

You call yourself a salesman, you son of a bitch?! This week on The Best Movies You’ve Never Seen podcast we’re watching Glengarry Glen Ross – starring Al Pacino, Alec Baldwin, Jack Lemmon, Ed Harris, Alan Arkin and Kevin Spacey. Glengarry Glen Ross is a snapshot in the life of a team of salesman who are facing the axe if they can’t turn their leads into sales. This is one of Stephen’s favourite movies that he has seen so many times that he knows it off by heart. Trevor, on the other hand, had no clue this film existed until…

Join Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long – the Two Blokes Talking Tech – for Episode 555 of the popular podcast as they take a look at the biggest tech stories of the week. On this week’s show, the latest on the Optus data breach and why Telstra was in the news, Twitter switches on a new feature, Google celebrates 20 years in Australia and Apple Music’s library hits 100 million songs. You can listen to the show right here on the Tech Guide site using the audio player below. Click on the Two Blokes Talking Tech…

Google has just unveiled its new Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro smartphones along with the all-new Pixel Watch which extends the Google ecosystem even further. These new devices go on sale in Australia on October 13. PIXEL 7 AND PIXEL 7 PRO The new Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro smartphones are powered by the new Tensor G2 processor and are running the latest Android 13 operating system. On the design side, the smartphones offer a sleek aluminium enclosure which is completely made of recycled materials. The Pixel 7 has a 6.3-inch display and is more compact than its…

The new 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Plus is an ideal choice for the user who wants to enjoy the iPhone experience with a larger screen and even better battery life. In the last few years, the only way a customer could have larger screen iPhone would be to pay for the most expensive Pro Max model. But now Apple has responded to customer’s suggestion and re-introduced the Plus model to the iPhone 14 line-up. Having a bigger iPhone means you can either see the contents of the screen even larger (good for people like me who now needs glasses to read…

Video meetings are here to stay and the good news is you can achieve a high-quality connection with the AnkerWork B600 Video Conferencing Bar that combines a 2K camera, a four-mic array, dual speakers and a smart LED light bar. It has everything you need to achieve a high-quality video meeting for those users working from home or in a hybrid arrangement. The product is an all-in-one solution which can provide impressive video quality, good audio and even eliminate background sounds so you can focus on your meeting. Also onboard is the smart LED light bar with brightness and colour…

Since the Optus data breach exposed the information and IDs of millions of customers two weeks ago, there’s been a surge of people who now want to protect their identity resulting in a spike of activity around credit score app Credit Savvy. Credit Savvy is a free app on the App Store and Google Play Store and allows users to set a 21 day ban on you credit inquiries. This would stop hackers who may have your stolen information from stealing your identity and taking out credit in your name. Since the Optus data breach, Credit Savvy has seen a…

Google is celebrating 20 years in Australia and has revealed the top searches we’ve made since the company was established on our shores back in 2002. The Google Australia team began 20 years ago with a single person working out of their lounge room. Today they are more than 2000 strong with engineers, app and service developers that now provide about $67 billion in annual economic value to Australia. Google Australia has also built products that have become part of our daily lives including Google Maps which was conceived and developed in Sydney. While search is the first thing we…

Do yourself a huge favour and listen to Episode 522 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast hosted by editor Stephen Fenech so you can stay updated and educated about the latest consumer tech news and reviews. On this week’s show: Tesla has unveiled its latest product – and it’s not a car, Optus still under fire after its catastrophic data breach and the timely Norton product released months before the Optus debacle. In the Tech Guide reviews, we take a look at the new Sonos Sub Mini, Amazon releases a new read and write Kindle and new Echo speakers and…

Apple today announced an impressive milestone – the Apple Music streaming service is now home to a library of 100 million songs – the largest collection of music in the world. At last count Spotify has 82 million songs, YouTube more than 80 million and Amazon Music Unlimited 75 million tracks. Apple Music’s growth to 100 million songs comes 21 years after the launch of iTunes and the release of the original iPod that had room to store and play 1000 songs. Back then there were 200,000 songs available on iTunes. Today 100 million songs ate more that you can…

Optus has finally offered some clarity following the data breach almost two weeks ago with news that more than two million customers had personal identification documents stolen by hackers. Optus CEO Kelly Bayer Rosmarin delivered a video message to break down the numbers of customers affected after working with more than 20 Federal, State and Territory government agencies and departments. Here’s what we know: – 1.2 million customers have had at least one piece of personally identifiable information compromised. This includes driver’s licence, Medicare card number, passport. Optus says it has already contacted these customers and recommended they change their identification…

Optus says it will commission Deloitte to perform an independent external examination of the recent data breach and its security systems. Optus CEO Kelly Bayer Rosmarin recommended the move which was supported unanimously by the Singtel board. International professional services firm Deloitte has been called in to conduct a forensic review of the cyber attack along with its security systems, controls and processes. This comes a day after Optus was accused by the Australian Government of being uncooperative and not complying with requests to help affected customers. But today Optus was singing a different song with the announcement of an…

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has unveiled a humanoid robot called Optimus that could one day carry out all our menial tasks and even become our friends and for less than the price of car at about $30,000. Optimus was the centre of attention when the electric car manufacturer held its annual AI Day. Musk was quick to manage expectations ahead of the appearance of Optimus which waved to the audience and walked to the front of the stage unassisted. The robot is powered by the same system that runs Tesla’s autopilot hardware in its electric cars and was shown carrying…

The great thing about Sonos is there is a speaker for every customer and every situation including the new Sonos Sub Mini which adds some punch to your music and movies. The Sub Mini’s design is based on its big brother – the larger original (and more expensive) Sonos Sub. Sub Mini is cylindrical instead square, but it still does inherit the same technology with dual opposing woofers that can be seen through the oval-shaped opening on the front and back of the unit. This placement helps reduce distortion so you’re getting a clean bass response. The Sub Mini is…

If you want to hear the most comprehensive unpacking of the Optus data breach then you need to listen to Episode 554 of the Two Blokes Talking Tech podcast with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long. Stephen and Trevor talk through the actual breach, the Optus CEO’s press conference, the consequences of the massive data leak and our reactions to how Optus has handled the situation. You can listen to the show right here on the Tech Guide site using the audio player below. Click on the Two Blokes Talking Tech link at the top of the…