Author: Stephen Fenech

IKEA Australia has opened its smallest store ever – it is the size of your smartphone’s screen.  IKEA Australia has launched its new app so users can search, shop and buy IKEA products anywhere from their mobile device. This latest IKEA app replaces the older app with improved functionality that improves the mobile shopping experience for customers. And rather than just being a digital catalogue, the IKEA Australia app focuses on providing inspiration for customers with impressive lifestyle imagery for each area of the home to generate ideas and create wider choices. Customers can use the IKEA app on the…

Apple has reduced its App Store commission from 30 per cent down to 15 per cent in a new  developer program designed to encourage small businesses to embrace innovation in a COVID world. The commission reduction, which comes into effect on January 1, is aimed at smaller developers and entrepreneurs who want  to increase their business’s online footprint. Companies can qualify for the reduced 15 per cent commission if they earn less than $US1 million in the calendar year. If they earn more than $US1 million the commission jumps back up to 30 per cent. The App Store Small Business…

Oppo has unveiled a new X 2021 concept smartphone with a rollable OLED display at its annual INNO DAY 2020 via a virtual livestream which will allow users to easily adjust the size of the product’s screen to suit whatever they are doing. In the closed position the X 2021 has a 6.7-inch display which can be extended to 7.4-inches just by pulling it open and giving users have more options to meet their productivity and entertainment needs. The user can adjust the display depending on their needs whether it’s sending an email, checking social media, multitasking or watching video…

If we had to sum up our reviews of the new MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro powered by Apple’s new M1 processor in one sentence we’d say – “better and faster with brilliant battery life”. The extra speed is obvious even for simple things like waking from sleep, unlocking with your fingerprint and opening applications which now snap open in an instant. But the real improvements can easily be seen when using more sophisticated applications like Final Cut Pro, Adobe Photoshop and when playing graphics-heavy games. Probably the most dramatic improvement you will see is the battery life. We…

Do yourself a favour and take a listen to Episode 426 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast hosted by editor Stephen Fenech so you stay updated and educated about the latest consumer tech news and reviews. We give you our verdicts on the Sony PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X gaming consoles and Apple unveils its own M1 processor and three new Macs with that new chip onboard. In the Tech Guide reviews, we run our eye over the new HomePod mini, MG Motor releases its first full electric SUV in Australian and Belkin launches the Boost Charge Wireless…

With Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales around the corner and Christmas shopping also upon us, we need to beware of cyber criminals targeting online shoppers. Scammers will see the increased number of people flooding to online marketplaces as an opportunity to go after Australian shoppers with credit card fraud and identity theft. The 2020 NortonLifeLock Digital Transformation Report shows that 57 per cent of Australians are doing more online shopping than ever before with more than 40 per cent now using a digital wallet. That means it’s game time for scammers. Online shopping scams have already cost Australians more…

Every year each Call of Duty game faces the same problem – following up the previous version game with something better. Each entry of the famous franchise Is always a hard act to follow but Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War still manages something fresh and exciting. The game takes us back to the early 80s when tensions between the US and Russia were at an all-time high and the Cold War was in full swing. And the game gets off to a flyer when one of the opening scenes features a stunningly realistic US President Ronald Reagan in…

We love versatile products and versatile is exactly the right word to describe the new Belkin Boost Charge Wireless Charging Stand and Speaker so you can hear your music or watch your content and charge your smartphone at the same time. The onboard speaker offers impressive audio quality so you can rock out while topping up your device’s battery through the Qi-certified wireless charger. It will fast charge at the optimal power at up to 10W and its protected by a two-year product warranty as well as a $2,500 connected equipment warranty The speaker can be found at the top…

Epson has released a range of exciting new products that can help users embrace the new normal of the COVID world yet still stay as productive and creative as ever. The new Epson products include new printers, a short-throw projector and a photo scanner. In a world where we need to work from home, keep our distance from co-workers if we are in the office and avoid unnecessary outside visitors, the Epson products can help all with all of that. EPSON ECOTANK ET5800 PRINTER – $1,199 The latest edition to the popular EcoTank range, the ET5800 is an A4 wireless…

Two Blokes Talking Tech Episode 462, with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long, covers the biggest tech stories and product announcements of the week. On this week’s show, Apple unveils its new M1 processor and the first three Macs the new processor will power, our verdicts on the iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max, we talk about the new gaming consoles – Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 – released this week, streaming service Stan to offer sport, MG releases its first electric vehicle in Australia, Sennheiser’s 75th anniversary headphones and DJI launches the Mini…

Apple has released the latest Mac OS Big Sur – the latest version of the desktop operating system for the iMac, MacBook Air and MacBook Pro Which includes numerous design and performance enhancements. Big Sur has also been engineered to take advantage of Apple’s new M1 chip on the latest 13-inch MacBook Pro, MacBook Air and Mac mini. current Mac users can instal the update for free by going to the Apple Menu > System Preferences > Software Update. Here are the new macOS Big Sur features: NEW DESIGN Big Sur has a slick new minimal look that borrows heavily…

It’s finally here. The PlayStation 5 went on sale this week and is set to propel gaming to an all-new altitude thanks to the incredible improvements under the hood. The PS5 has one of the most flamboyant designs we’ve ever seen on a product but we’re happy to report the beauty goes far beyond skin deep. Under the hood the PlayStation 5 has some remarkable specs Including the X86 AMD Ryzen eight-core 16 thread processor, 16GB RAM and the 825GB SSD solid state drive. The unit itself is a lot bigger than its predecessor, the PlayStation 4, with a unique…

The new Apple HomePod mini might be small in size but it’s big on sound and big on features and can also connect to and control your home’s smart devices. The unit stands just 8.5 centimetres tall and its dwarfed by its big brother, the original HomePod. But don’t let the small size fool you into thinking It lacks power. Quite the opposite. It provides q room filling 360-degree sound and all of your favourite music and playlists. podcasts and audiobooks are just a voice command away. On the design side, HomePod mini has the same seamless mesh fabric coating…

It’s a monolith. It’s a block, It’s a big rectangle. It’s big. It’s beautiful. It’s ugly. It’s boring. It’s brilliant, Call the Xbox Series X what you want – but what you can’t argue with is that it is seriously powerful and a huge improvement across the board. The less is more design has already seen a love it or hate it reaction. For us, we quite like the simplicity and understated look and feel. This isn’t something you wear or carry out in public. Quite frankly we think a lot of other gamers probably thought the same way. It’s…

Apple has launched its latest range of next-generation Mac computers – MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro and Mac Mini – that are powered by the new breakthrough M1 chip that will offer a new level of performance and unprecedented battery life. The new M1 chip with an 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU was unveiled by Apple today and the company says it will transform the Mac experience with up to 3.5x faster CPU performance, up to 6x faster GPU performance and up twice as much battery life. Also onboard the new Macs is the latest macOS Big Sur which ties…

Apple has supercharged the Mac computer line-up with the introduction of its game-changing M1 chip that will set new performance standards and create an entirely new level of efficiency. The first products to feature the new M1 chip will be the 13-inch MacBook Pro, the MacBook Air and the Mac Mini. These new versions will go on sale in Australia next week. Apple will transition the rest of the Mac line-up – the iMac, iMac Pro, MacBook 16-inch, and the Mac Pro – to M1 over the next two years. Also available this week will be the latest macOS update…

Lend us your ears for Episode 425 of the Tech Guide podcast as we share our verdict on the iPhone 12 Mini and the iPhone 12 Pro Max and chat with Hoodoo Gurus frontman Dave Faulkner in our Celebrity Tech segment. This week we offer our full review on the teeny tiny iPhone 12 Mini and the huge, near tablet-size iPhone 12 Pro Max. Also on the show, DJI has just released the Mini 2 drone that can fit in the palm of your hand and capture stunning 4K quality and in our Celebrity Tech interview we talk to Dave…

MG motor has launched its first full electric SUV in Australia at a price it hopes will make it more competitive as a mainstream choice for new car buyers. The company says one of the barriers to adoption of electric vehicles for many customers has been the high upfront purchase price. The MG ZS EV compact SUV has a driveaway price of $43,990.00 and is backed by an 8 year 160,000 kilometre battery warranty, a five year unlimited kilometre warranty plus five years of roadside assistance. “Until now, buyers have had to pay a premium price for an EV. This…

The last of Apple’s iPhone 12 line-up – the iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max – will be released this week which means customers will be offered two entirely different options – “good things come in small packages” or “go big or go home”. These are two entirely new screen sizes for the iPhone and sit at opposite ends of the scale. The iPhone 12 Mini is small and compact and includes a 5.4-inch display. It will easily fit into your pocket or purse yet it is, apart from the smaller screen, identical to the iPhone 12 right…

Nokia has released two new affordable devices for customers looking for features and value  – the premium Nokia 3.4 with a 6.39 inch display and the Nokia 225 4G feature phone with dual SIM connectivity and a number pad. HMD global, the home of Nokia phones, is determined to offer devices aimed at price-sensitive customers who want to stay connected with quality products. NOKIA 3.4 – $249 The Nokia 3.4 next is the first in its series to feature a punch hole display front camera along with a triple camera system. The device has a 3D nano-textured rear cover and…