Author: Stephen Fenech

Spend your weekend with the Two Blokes Talking Tech – Stephen Fenech (Tech Guide) and Trevor Long (EFTM) – Episode 543 where they discuss the biggest tech stories of the week. On this week show: iOS 16 public beta has kicked off, Telstra brings its call centres back to Australia, Withing ScanWatch Horizon smartwatch, STM ChargeTree Go and how good is watching sport in 4K? 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 page and you’ll be…

Can you believe it’s already 10 years since Psy’s earworm Gangnam Style debuted on YouTube and became the first video to rack up a billion views on the platform. The South Korean superstar kicked off the Billion Views Club (BVC) with Gangnam Style and in the years since we’ve seen many artists achieve that milestone including a few Australians like Sia with Chandelier, Cheap Thrills and Elastic Heart, Tones And I with Dance Monkey, Iggy Azelea with Fancy and AC/DC with Thunderstruck. Gangnam Style debuted on July 12. 2012 on YouTube and viewers around the world flocked online to see and hear the latest viral…

The new MacBook Air not only has a brand-new design but also a brand-new engine – the latest Apple M2 chip – which offers an improvement across the board in speed, performance and battery life. It’s has undergone one of its biggest design changes since the original MacBook Air was introduced back in 2008. The M2 MacBook Air has lost its tapered design and now the same thickness from back to front – and that figure is a svelte 11.3mm. It also has 20 per cent less volume than the previous model and tips the scales at a mere 1.24kg.…

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, is adding even more functionality to the Ray-Ban Stories connected smart sunglasses – you can now make hands free calls through WhatsApp. And the Ray-Ban Stories will also be able to read out your WhatsApp messages to you as well. When they were introduced last year, the Ray-Ban Stories were designed to allow users to capture photos and videos without the need to reach for their smartphone so you can stay in the moment. With this new update users will be able to make calls and send messages through WhatsApp to your friends and…

Telstra has announced that, as of June 2022, its 5G network is now within reach of 80 per cent of the Australian population with a plan to have 95 per cent coverage by 2025. Telstra CEO Andy Penn broke the news on LinkedIn, and he said 5G was not limited to capital cities. “Turning on more 5G means turning on more for our digital economy and giving more Aussie’s the chance to work from anywhere,” Penn said in his LinkedIn post. The 5G rollout for Telstra began back in 2019. It was the first telco to offer the first wave…

Size matters. It does when it comes to speakers. The Soundboks Go is a fine example of this. It is purpose built to deliver a big sound and to deliver it anywhere. This is an unmissable speaker that has a huge sound and a rugged design. Tech Guide took a look at the monster speaker which is built to handle anything. It’s a beast – it weighs 9.2kg and is 45.9cm wide, 31.6cm high and 26.6cm deep. The Soundboks Go has a dentproof chassis and reinforced cabinet and grill that is made from ABS and polycarbonate with a silicon rubber…

Lend us your ears for Episode 510 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: Samsung retains top spot ahead of Apple in the smartphone category, foldable smartphones have experienced huge growth and we go through the rumours ahead of Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 launch next month and the tips to keep you safe online at tax time. In the Tech Guide reviews, we look at not one smartwatch but two – the Huawei Watch D which…

Telstra has announced it is bringing its call centres back to Australia for its consumer and small business customers to create a better experience. Having foreign call centres in the past has been a frustration for Telstra customers who felt their local needs were not being and their issues not being resolved. So Telstra decided to hire more than 2000 new team members scattered across the country to answer calls from consumers and small businesses in their area. “Our team are your neighbours. They’re located in cities and towns across Australia, including regional hubs like Maryborough, Bunbury and Bathurst,” says…

It was only a few weeks that Apple unveiled iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 at the Worldwide Developers Conference. The good news is you can install them right now on your Apple devices when you sign up to the Apple Beta Software Program. The final versions will be available in September, but you can install iOS 16 on your iPhone and iPadOS 16 on your iPad right now. The Apple Beta Software Program provides early access to the latest operating system so early users can help weed out any bugs and improve the quality and performance by sending anonymous diagnostics and usage…

The Australian Communication and Media Authority (ACMA) has put new rules in place for telcos to work together to protect Australians from scam text messages. Now mobile providers will have to share information about scam messages with other telcos to make it easier to identify and block scam text messages. And if telcos don’t comply with these new rules, they face penalties of up to $250,000. Just last week Telstra announced that since it’s scam message filter which was put in place in April had blocked more than 185 million scam text messages which is the equivalent of 1500 scam…

Samsung has retained its position as the top manufacturer in the smartphone market after selling more than 73 million devices in the first quarter of 2022 to command almost 24 per cent of the market. The South Korean electronics giant took first place ahead of Apple which had claimed 18 per cent of the smartphone category after selling more than 56 million iPhones in the Q1 2022. IDC (International Data Corporation) figures analysed by BanklessTimes says Samsung shipped 73.6 million smartphones in Q1 2022, more than any other brand – that was 17 million more than its closest rival Apple…

We’ve seen lots of smartwatches which all claimed to have cutting edge health and wellness features but they new Huawei Watch D offers something the others don’t – it can measure your blood pressure. Other smartwatches have been able to monitor your blood pressure once you’ve had a traditional cuff reading but the Huawei Watch D can take a measurement right there on your wrist. The Watch D has a rectangular 1.64-inch display with 456 x 280 resolution and 326ppi (pixels per inch). The case is made from graphite aluminium and the strap is a rubber-like fluoro elastomer. This band…

Blue pill or red pill?? This week on The Best Movies You’ve Never Seen podcast we’re watching The Matrix starring Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss and filmed entirely in Sydney. Released in 1999, The Matrix tells the story of Neo – a computer hacker who learns the hard and terrifying truth about the world he’s living in. This is one of the first movies filmed at what was at the time the new Fox Studios in Sydney with lots of Sydney locations featured in the film. Stephen has a family connection to the production and saw this in the cinema…

There is no shortage of smartwatches today but one model – the Withings ScanWatch Horizon – manages to combine the design of a traditional watch with the many features of a smartwatch. The ScanWatch Horizon is a stylish timepiece– it looks like a diver’s watch. And it does have 10 ATM water resistance so you can take it in the water for a swim or a snorkel. The watch has a sapphire-glass casing and an anti-reflective coating along with a titanium finish that adds to the premium look of the device. It also has a stainless-steel band watchband – and…

We’ve seen plenty of three-in-one chargers for your iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods but there’s a big difference with the new STM ChargeTree Go – you can take it anywhere with you. We already know STM Goods for its excellent bags, backpacks, laptop cases and iPhone accessories but it has now expanded its charging range with the release of the STM ChargeTree Go. The 3-in-1 device is designed to go with you. It can not only charge your Apple devices but also fold down to a size that can easily fit in your bag so you can take it with…

Join in with the discussion in Episode 542 of the Two Blokes Talking Tech podcast with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long as they dissect the week’s biggest tech stories and product releases. This week: Optus increase their mobile plan prices, considering a witch to Fibre to the Premises, Chargefox gets bought out, Telstra’s scam text message filter producing results and Stephen and Trevor discuss what tech they would take with them on a desert island. You can listen to the show right here on the Tech Guide site using the audio player below. Click on the…

Samsung will unveil its latest Galaxy Z foldable smartphones next month at a time when global sales of foldables have increased fourfold in a year. The market for foldable devices is very healthy with global sales four times higher in 2021 as compared to 2020. This is three times higher than the market growth forecast. Samsung’s President and head of Samsung’s Mobile Experience Business TM Roh says the popularity of foldable form factors will continue to grow. “Foldables are transforming and reshaping the mobile market. As the pioneer and leader of the foldable smartphone category, we are focused on delivering…

Telstra kicked off its SMS scam filter in April and has already blocked more than 185 million malicious texts – that equates to more than 1500 scam text messages blocked every single minute. Scam text messages are sent to either try and install malware on your device or to harvest your personal details. There have also been a number of text messages impersonating institutions like Medicare, Australia Post and the Australian Taxation Office requesting your personal details or financial data. “Telstra is blocking scam text messages now at a network level before they even reach your mobile device,” says Telstra…

It’s that time of year when we’re lodging our tax returns but cyber criminals are also out in force. Leading cyber safety brand Norton has some expert advice to help users stay safe and protect their information. “A key way to protect yourself is to understand how the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) works and to be aware of the different tax scams,” says Mark Gorrie, APAC Director at NortonLifeLock. “Be cautious of ATO impersonation scams. These have become rampant in the past couple of years.” Around 30 per cent of Australians lodge their own tax return personally. Here are Mark…

Jump onboard and take a listen to Episode 509 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: it’s 15 years since the first iPhone went on sale, the next Apple Watch will tell you if you’re running a fever and Bowers & Wilkins releases its latest noise cancelling headphones. In the Tech Guide reviews, we take a look at the Astell and Kern UW100 earphones, Philips Pico Projector allows you enjoy your movies and games anywhere on a…