Author: Stephen Fenech

Huawei has released the world’s first True Wireless Stereo (TWS) earphones – the Huawei FreeBuds Pro – which also include a unique form of active noise cancellation technology. The Huawei FreeBuds Pro are the world’s first intelligent dynamic noise-cancelling earphones and the first to include TWS. They offer excellent sound quality, a comfortable fit and a range of smarter features. “Our new FreeBuds Pro have been designed to help us stay connected to a high-quality audio experience while on the go, making them the perfect pocket companions to support the typical busy and active Aussie lifestyle,” says Larking Huang, managing…

Google is now offering not one but two 5G devices – the Pixel 4a (5G) and the Pixel 5  – with both offering Android 11, excellent camera and more affordable prices to make them even more attractive to customers. There are many 5G phones on the market right now and, until last week’s reveal of the iPhone 12 5G, they were all Android devices. The Google Pixel phones have become even more popular ever since Google priced them more aggressively. The early versions of Google’s Pixel smartphones were priced as high as the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy devices. It didn’t…

Western Digital has launched a new portfolio of storage devices which have been designed for gamers and the ever-changing gaming landscape and increasing demands on PCs. There are three new products in the WD_Black range – WD_Black SN850s NVMe SSD, WD_Black AN1500 NVMe SSD Add-in-Card and WD_Black D50 Game Dock NVMe SSD. “As game developers move towards creating immersive titles that require higher performance, consumers need to equip themselves with the best tools to stay up-to-speed,” said Jim Welsh, senior vice president, consumer solutions, Western Digital. “Innovative, high-performance storage solutions are essential to keep up with this ever-changing landscape. “Our…

When it comes to high audio quality and noise cancellation, Bose are always at the top of their game and they’ve added those features to the new QuietComfort Earbuds. It’s the same excellent level of noise cancellation you get with Bose headphones but shrunk down to work with the earbuds so you can switch off the outside world and just focus on your music or podcast or audiobook. The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds use a patented combination of active and passive noise cancellation. ANC comes from the internal and external microphones that monitor ambient sounds around you and inside your ear…

LG, has updated its recent model OLED, NanoCell and 4K/UHD TVs to include even more streaming services including AppleTV and Optus Sport. More than 1.5 million LG TV owners across Australia now have even more streaming options with Apple TV, ABC iView, Optus Sport and Amazon Music now available side by side with recent additions like Disney+ along with existing services Netflix, Stan, YouTube and Amazon Prime. Recent research by Roy Morgan says almost 16 million Australians have access to at least one content streaming service like Netflix (13.28 million viewers), Foxtel (5.5 million), Stan (4.43 million), Disney+ (2.49 million), and…

When I was told the Mate electric bike has been called the Tesla of electric bikes I knew, as a Tesla driver, I had to take a look at it. And of course I was already interested in electric bikes. Electric bikes are quite popular right now but we should point out if people think the motor does all the work they are mistaking an electric bike for an electric scooter. The Mate X – that’s the model we had – works like every other electric bike. It still has pedals and the motor kicks in to assist. There are…

The telco wars ahead of the iPhone 12 launch continue with Telstra firing the latest volley with a $50 discount per month on its XL mobile plans which includes a massive 180GB of data. The discount is available to new and existing customers who sign up to Telstra’s SIM-only plan for 12-months. That brings the price down from $115 a month to $65 a month for 180GB data per month and adds up to a saving of $600 in a year. That’s the same price of the Telstra Medium month to month plan which includes 80GB data. The discount offer…

It’s time to tune in to Episode 458 of the Two Blokes Talking Tech podcast with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long as they go through the new iPhone 12 and HomePod mini announcements from Apple. Stephen and Trevor take a deep dive into the iPhone 12 features, pricing and 5G and also run their eye over the HomePod mini and where it fits in the smart speaker market. Also on the show, the Ecovacs Auto Empty Station and the new Arlo Essential XL Spotlight camera. You can listen to the show right here on the Tech…

Apple’s new iPhone 12 range was unveiled with pricing slightly higher than iPhone 11 but lower for the iPhone 11 Pro. But what many may not realise is that the older iPhone models are still available and have been reduced by as much as $380. With Apple now not including a charger and earphones with the iPhone, the expectation was for prices to be slightly reduced. Yes the iPhone 12 Mini is the same price as the iPhone 11 was a year ago but it also has a smaller 5.4-inch display against a 6.1-inch screen in the iPhone 11, but…

Belkin has announced a range of new products across its mobile power and accessories line-up that have been designed work with the new iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max. The Belkin products takes advantage of the features introduced in the iPhone 12 line-up including MagSafe wireless charging, screen protection and hands-free convenience to use the iPhone 12 while driving. “Working alongside Apple has enabled us to design accessories that are an ideal complement to our customers’ most personal devices,” said Steven Malony, senior vice president and general manager, Belkin International. “We’re excited to…

Apple has announced the iPhone 12 line-up which are packed with new features along with the HomePod mini – and we’ve been asked a lot of questions about them. So here are the answers to all of your questions. There are four new devices in the iPhone 12 line-up – and they are all 5G compatible. READ TECH GUIDE’S FULL REPORT ABOUT THE iPHONE 12 LINE-UP The iPhone 12 has a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display and has a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio with twice as many pixels as iPhone 11. The iPhone 12 Mini has a 5.4-inch display and…

Arlo has announced the new Arlo Essential XL Spotlight wireless security camera which includes an integrated, extended-life battery that can last for a whole year and give you peace of mind about your security. Available for $279, the Arlo Essential XL camera has an integrated spotlight and can capture video at full high definition 1080p. It is also fully weather proof so you can put it anywhere – inside and out. There is  two-way audio so you can hear and speak to visitors easily along with colour night vision so you can easily see colours and not just black and…

Apple has shrunk the HomePod and made it cheaper. The HomePod mini is priced at just $149 and offers the convenience of Siri to get things done and enjoy impressive sound quality. Despite standing just 8.5cm tall, the HomePod mini still packs a big sound. Apple designed every acoustic element on the HomePod mini to create outstanding audio. It uses computational audio which makes calculations in real-time to make the sound the best it can be wherever it is positioned in your home. “HomePod mini has everything customers want in a smart speaker — amazing sound for listening to music, a…

After delays and production challenges, Apple has finally unveiled its latest iPhone – and it’s the biggest and fastest the company has ever produced. Not only does the iPhone 12 have a fresh new design with a larger display but it will also run on the ever-expanding 5G networks. Apple CEO Tim Cook kicked off proceedings from the Steve Jobs Theatre at Apple Park in Cupertino. There are four new devices in the iPhone 12 line-up – and they are all 5G compatible. The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro will go on sale on October 23 while the iPhone…

Get updated and educated on Episode 421 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast about the latest tech news and reviews and listen to our Celebrity Tech interview with Australian best-selling author Jane Harper. On this week’s show, the 5G war is on between the telcos ahead of the iPhone 12 launch, the business card has been re-invented for the 21st century and in the Celebrity Tech interview we chat to Australian best-selling author Jane Harper. In the Tech Guide reviews, we take a look at the LG Tone Free earphones which have a germ killing charging case, we check out…

Samsung Australia and eftpos have partnered to allow contactless transactions through Samsung Pay via the eftpos network to give users another payment option while using their digital wallet. So now Samsung Pay users have the choice of making debit card payment via eftpos or with a VISA credit card when making mobile payments. Today there are more than 50 million eftpos-enabled card being used to make payments Heritage Bank will be the first to offer eftpos on Samsung Pay with more financial institutions to follow in the coming months. “We’re absolutely thrilled to lead the way with Samsung Electronics Australia and…

Telstra says its 5G network now covers 41 per cent of the Australian population as the rollout of the faster cellular network continues ahead of the launch of Apple’s first 5G iPhone. The Telstra 5G network continues it rollout in cities, suburbs and regional areas. Apple will this week unveil the iPhone 12 – the company’s first 5G smartphone – at a time when the 5G network footprint across Telstra, Optus and Vodafone network is growing steadily. This announcement by Telstra was strategically timed just days before the iPhone 12 5G is introduced. Apple’s venture into 5G, while more than…

The top-line feature of the LG Tone Free wire-free earphones when they were announced was that the charging case uses ultra violet light to kill 99.9 per cent of germs – but it’s the audio quality that will be the first thing to get your attention. Yes the UVnano case, an industry first, can kill bacteria and E. Coli and this was a relevant feature during the COVID pandemic in a time of social distancing and hand sanitizer. When the earphones are resting inside the case you can see the blue/purple glow below the medical grade silicon ear gel tips…

The DEEBOT OZMO T8+ AIVI, the newest member of the Ecovacs line-up, has set a new standard for robot vacuums and it has become even better and more convenient with the introduction of the Auto-Empty Station. The OZMO T8+ AIVI was released earlier this year and introduced new technologies to make it even better at cleaning your home. It can deliver millimetre-level obstacle detection and avoidance with the TrueDetect 3D technology. Now it can see objects like socks and charging cables and small toys and not only navigate around these objects but also tell you about them through the companion…

Finish your week on a high with Episode 457 of the Two Blokes Talking Tech podcast with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long as they discuss the week’s biggest tech stories and products. On this week’s show, Apple confirms the iPhone launch event for next week – so what can we expect to see, the 5G war between Optus and Telstra has begun, Foxtel changes its channel numbers and Trevor quits the service, our thoughts on the Apple Watch Series 6, console dramas with JB Hi-Fi and the new services from Optus and Telstra that can improve…