Author: Stephen Fenech

Apple has announced it will be streaming a virtual event next week from its Apple Park headquarters in Cupertino to unveil new products including a new iPhone and Apple Watch. The event kicks off at 10am on September 15 US time – which will be 3am Wednesday September 16 Sydney time. Due to the global pandemic, Apple has not invited media to attend the event but instead sent out initiations to to watch the event online at the Apple website. We’re expecting a similar stream to the one Apple provided for the recent Worldwide Developers Conference with pre-shot segments played…

Epson has released an all-new 4K TV viewing experience –  a Laser Projection TV – that can offer a picture up to 120-inches in size so you can enjoy your movies and games in cinema-like conditions at home. The Epson EH-LS500B Laser Projection TV combines an ultra-short throw laser projector and an ultra-high definition ambient light rejecting screen to produce stunning vivid colours and deep blacks. The result is an exceptionally bright and sharp picture which can be viewed in all kinds of viewing environments – even during the day. The unit can be positioned on top of an entertainment…

Tune in to Episode 416 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast hosted by editor Stephen Fenech who is joined this week by Channel 9 and 2GB journalist and presenter Deborah Knight. On this week’s show, the new screen technology that we’ll see in future smartphones, Samsung has announced pricing and availability of its Galaxy Z Fold2 and we talk to Samsung Australia Vice President Garry McGregor all about it. Apple has released a humorous video about privacy to make a point and this week’s Celebrity Tech interview is with Channel 9 and 2GB journalist and presenter Deborah Knight who discusses…

LG has always been an underrated smartphone brand but it couldn’t compete against Apple and Samsung at the same price. The new LG Velvet, priced under $1000, is going to change all of that. In previous years, the proud South Korean company priced its impressive smartphones which matched and, at times, exceeded its opposition with its features, at the same price as the latest iPhone or Samsung device. Unfortunately for LG, customers didn’t consider them at that flagship price range. But with the LG Velvet, the company has decided to go for the upper mid-tier of the market – a…

eBay, Australia’s number one shopping site, is celebrating its 21st birthday. The site attracts more than 11 million unique visitors per month and supports more than 40,000 retailers. And to celebrate eBay is offering 21 per cent off thousands of eBay Plus items until September 12. At the time of its launch in Australia in 1999, Australia had just won the Cricket World Cup, we were in the grip of Pokemon fever and also preparing to host the Sydney Olympics the following year. Since eBay launched in 1999, Australians have spent more than 2.5 billion hours browsing listings from everyday…

The last thing Samsung’s new Galaxy Buds Live earphones look like are earphones. They look more like beans than traditional wire-free earphones but they still offer a remarkable sound and comfort. The Samsung Galaxy Buds Live, released at the same time as the Galaxy Note20 smartphone, are yet another addition to the Galaxy ecosystem. They naturally work hand-in-glove with Samsung phones but they can also be used with other Android phones and even with an iPhone. Galaxy Buds Live offer a new approach to earphones and rest across your ear canal instead of inside it. The glossy Buds twist into…

The NBN will extends its free additional capacity to internet retailers to support the data and connectivity demands of customers during the COVID-19 pandemic until November 2020. NBN has committed to the additional 40 per cent Connectivity Virtual Circuit (CVC) which was first offered back in March at the start of the coronavirus crisis as more people relied on their home broadband to work and learn from home. The decision to extend the free additional bandwidth comes after receiving feedback from internet retailers who will now continue to offer discounted bundles to their customers until November 30. The NBN has…

Apple has always prided itself on the privacy iPhone users enjoy and have created a tongue-in-cheek video that shows just why data privacy is so important. The humorous video called Over Sharing shows people in public just blurting out private information that they would never ever share with the world. https://youtu.be/-l61NE0eqkw Apple has always been a strong advocate for privacy with CEO Tim Cook once describing privacy as “a fundamental human right”. The company builds privacy into its products and insists it doesn’t build detailed profiles of its customers or monetize their user data. The video showcases different situations to…

TCL has released an ambitious range of new devices including tablets, earphones and smartwatches at the virtual IFA tech trade show along with concept technology including a rollable screen, colour- e-ink display and smart glasses. TCL is one of the world’s best -selling consumer tech brands best known for its TVs and, more recently, its impressive smartphones. But the company’s strength is also creating displays for various devices along with new display technology that can be scrolled and folded and resist  glare. Here are the devices and technologies TCL unveiled at IFA: TCL 10 TABMAX, TCL 10 TABMID TCL will…

Two Blokes Talking Tech Episode 452 with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long takes a look at the week’s biggest tech stories and products. On this week’s show, we discuss the Facebook statements about possibly banning news posts on the newsfeed following the ACCC’s News Media Bargaining code, Samsung unveils the Galaxy Fold2 folding smartphone and the Premiere short throw projector and the Terrace outdoor TV, the COVID tracing update for iOS, why you need to register your drone, JBL’s audio product announcements from IFA and the Sennheiser CX 400BT wirefree earphones. You can listen to the…

Samsung is taking its TVs in all-new directions with the release of the Premiere – a short throw projector – and the Terrace – a high quality television designed to be used outdoors. The new TVs were announced at Samsung’s Life, Unstoppable virtual event which also saw the release of other appliances, tablets and smartphones. The Premiere and Terrace TVs have been released at a time when we’re spending more time at home than ever before and our TV is providing us with our main forms of entertainment and our source of news. The Premiere offers a picture of either…

Apple is expecting its iPhone 12, which will be the company’s first 5G device, to be a huge hit and is planning an initial production run of more than 75 million units, according to Bloomberg. The iPhone 12 5G is expected to be released in October – later than its usual late September launch window – with Apple aiming for sales to exceed the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max. Collectively these iPhones have sold more than 52.1 million units in 2020 alone, according to Omnia figures. And despite a 20 per cent downturn in global…

Samsung has revealed the pricing and availability of its most advanced smartphone to date – the Galaxy Z Fold2 – the folding smartphone which has a 6.2-inch front screen that unfolds to reveal a 7.6-inch tablet-size display inside. Pre-orders for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 start on September 9, 2020 and will officially go on sale on September 25, 2020. It will be priced at $2999. Samsung has taken its many learnings from the original Galaxy Fold released last year, which included customer feedback and tech reviews, and designed the follow-up with numerous improvements across the board. These enhancements include…

Sennheiser has always been a brand known for exceptional audio quality. But now with the release of the CX 400BT the brand will be known for its value as well. The new Sennheiser CX 400BT wirefree earphones offer superb audio quality but at a more affordable price – $299.95. And at that price they are really punching above their weight not only for the quality you’ll hear but also for the design and ability to customise the touch controls and to tweak the sound to get closer to your taste as well. On the design side, the Sennheiser CX 400BT…

Facebook may ban Australian users sharing news content in response to the News Media Bargaining code which may result in Facebook and Google paying media organisations to use their content. The social media giant may remove all news content for Facebook and Instagram users in Australia and also restrict anyone from sharing news stories to their timeline. Facebook’s shocking response comes after the ACCC’s campaign to compensate Australian media companies for use of their content on the Facebook and Google platforms which between them have cornered around 70 per cent of the digital advertising market. “Assuming this draft code becomes…

South Sydney Rabbitohs captain Adam Reynolds is our special guest on Episode 415 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast hosted by editor Stephen Fenech. The Souths skipper appears in an all-new segment on the show called Celebrity Tech where we chat to people in the media, sport and entertainment about their relationship with technology and how they use it in their personal and professional lives. Reynolds, who lines up for his 200th NRL match this week, talks to Stephen Fenech about the tech is used at Souths training and in the gym, what the rules are with his kids and…

Hisense has announced its recent range of smart TVs will include Foxtel Now in its suite of content streaming apps as part of its VIDAA 3 operating system. Select Hisense TVs will be able to access the Foxtel Now app from October 2020. Users with a Foxtel Now subscription will now be able to enjoy the service on their Hisense TV released in 2019 and 2020 including Foxtel originals, exclusive HBO dramas, movies, sports, news programs and documentaries. “While content has long been king, demand for it has never been higher than in the current climate,” says Andre Iannuzzi, Head…

Huawei has been forced to end its decade-long major sponsorship of the Canberra Raiders rugby league team after the company’s revenue took a major hit in 2020 on the back of the COVID-19 pandemic, its 5G ban in Australia and US trade black ban. Huawei says the sponsorship was being terminated after continued negative business environment was having a larger-than-expected impact on the company’s planned revenue stream. The sponsorship of the Canberra Raiders was Huawei’s first ever major sporting sponsorship in the world. “We are very proud of our major sponsorship of the Raiders and the fact that it lasted…

Australians will soon need to register their drones as more and more users are taking to the sky each month. The move by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) will help ensure pilots are flying their drones safely and responsibly. Like the registration for your car, a drone registration will make people accountable for their drone and the way they fly it. Drones flown for work will need to be registered regardless of their type and weight. Registrations open on September 30, 2020 and will be required by January 28, 2021 and will be valid for 12 months. Even if…

Join the Two Blokes Talking Tech – Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long – for Episode 451 of the entertaining and informative podcast which discusses the week’s biggest tech stories and products. On this week’s show, Hisense unveils Dual Cell TV, Fitbit releases new range of devices, Google offer Duo for Android TVs, Norton internet security adds Dark Web monitoring, LG introduce Tone Free earbuds with a UV case that can kill germs and we get the first look at Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War. You can listen to the show right here on the…