Author: Stephen Fenech

Get in the zone with Episode 413 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast, hosted by editor Stephen Fenech, so you stay updated and educated about the latest tech news and reviews. On this week’s show, Google’s open letter opposing paying news media outlets for their content, it’s National Scams Awareness Week and we share the latest scams and tips on how to stay safe and the new SleepCheck app that can tell if your snoring is a sign of something more serious. In the Tech Guide reviews, we take a look at the new LG 75-inch 8K NanoCell TV, we…

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has fired back at Google saying its open letter about the News Media Bargaining code is full of “misinformation”. The trillion-dollar search giant published an open letter to Australians on the Google home page against paying for the news it uses which said it would put its “free services at risk”. The letter went to outline concerns about handing over data to news media businesses and how the News Media Bargaining code could affect Google and YouTube search results. The ACCC’s response to the Google open letter didn’t pull any punches. “The open…

The LG 75-inch Nano99 Series 8K TV is truly a site to behold. With 8K resolution it is also one of the best quality TVs we’ve reviewed with a level of detail that never ceased to fascinate. While there isn’t a whole lot of 8K content to enjoy right now, the LG 8K Nanocell TV still delivered stunning picture quality courtesy of its upscaling abilities powered by the third generation Alpha 9 processor. And having a 75-inch screen also helps you appreciate the image quality even further. If you’re investing in an 8K TV now, you’re investing in the future.…

Trillion dollar company Google has launched a campaign against paying for the news it uses claiming it may put its free services at risk and dramatically change Google and YouTube search results. The open letter to Australians from managing director Mel Silva on behalf of Google Australia is linked directly on the Google search page along with a pop-up on the side of the page warning users that the News Bargaining Code “would force us to provide a dramatically worse service”. The way it has been presented so prominently on the Google search page and highlighting words like “at risk”…

One upside of the COVID-19 pandemic is the boost in subscription services with Australians spending more time at home than ever before and turning to on-demand entertainment, according to analyst firm Telsyte. More than 5.6 million new subscriptions were created in Australia by the end of June 2020 – that’s an 18 per cent increase from last year. The increase was mainly across video subscription services along with music streaming services and games-related subscriptions. That means the total number of subscriptions in Australia went up to 37 million with Telsyte forecasting that figure to hit 58 million by 2024. COVID-19…

It’s National Scams Awareness Week and the NBN is one of many businesses and government departments launching campaigns to educate Australians about spotting these online deceptions which have increased dramatically in 2020. The NBN campaign will aim to leverage the insights and intelligence from Scamwatch to highlight the most common scams and the variations that have emerged in recent months as well as sharing tips on how to stay safe. Scamwatch has received more than 24,000 reports of stolen personal information in 2020 alone which an increase of 55 per cent from the same time last year. More than $22…

Anyone with an email address is a target for spam with many noticing a huge increase in the past few months since the coronavirus crisis. But how can you stop receiving these annoying messages? Is there anything you can do? We’ve heard from a number of Tech Guide readers with Optus email accounts who are being inundated by spam which is peddling everything from bitcoin, medicine, porn and other get rich schemes.. Tech Guide reached out to Optus for its tips on how to manage and avoid spam. Here are the Optus tips on managing and stopping spam from flooding…

As if the COVID-19 lockdown wasn’t bad enough, new research from NortonLifeLock shows that one in six Australian have also been victims of cybercrime during this trying period. The NortonLifeLock Digital Transformation Report has highlighted how dramatically our online behaviour has changed since the start of the pandemic. Australians have been forced to shift their behaviour and are online even more for things like online shopping and entertainment. And cyber criminals have used this to their advantage. “It’s encouraging to see that the lockdown has made Aussies more vigilant and cautious when it comes to online safety,” says Mark Gorrie,…

Get the lowdown on the week’s biggest tech stories and products in Episode 449 of the Two Blokes Talking Tech with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long. On this week’s show, Sony’s new WH-1000XM4 noise cancelling headphones, the SleepCheck app that can see if you’re snoring is sleep apnoea, Navman’s new dash cams, Samsung’s new air purifiers, Skullcandy’s earphones with Tile built in and the new Bowers & Wilkins Signature speakers. 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…

Samsung has released a new range of air purifiers which are designed to improve the air quality and keep your home clean and healthy. Australians spend up to 90 per cent of their lives indoors but few are aware that the indoor air quality can be up to five times worse than the outside air with airborne particles like dust, gases, chemicals, bacteria and various other odours. “Air Purifiers are designed to make air in the home as pure and healthy as possible” said Jeremy Senior, Head of Consumer Electronics, Samsung Electronics Australia. “Australians are conscious of the air we…

Navman has released a range of new in-car products including the MiCam GPS dash cam that can be your eyes and ears on the road and also get you to your destination. Bringing together two decades of designing and building GPS devices, Navman says its MiCam has been released at the right time when motorists are faced with navigating new roads and tunnels and also battling distractions behind the wheel. The Navman MiCam GPS has a 5-inch touchscreen and, for the first time, has been built on the Android platform which has allowed the company to combine premium functionality with…

Vodafone has unveiled a range of cost saving offers and bundles for customers across its postpaid and prepaid plans so they can connect for less starting at $35 a month with endless data. Endless data means customers who exceed their bundle data can still continue to use data without penalty but at the slower speed of 1.5Mbps. “This is a challenging time for Australians and these new offers deliver more great value and savings for Vodafone customers,” says Ana Bordeianu, Vodafone’s Chief Commercial Officer. “All these offers are a step above what we have done before – bigger discounts, more…

When premium audio brand Bowers & Wilkins puts the Signature label on its loudspeakers, audiophiles stand at attention. This month was one of those rare occasions with the launch of two new products in the Bowers & Wilkins 700 Series range – the stand-mount 705 Signature and the floor-standing 702 Signature. There new products have a common philosophy with the previous Signature models which represent the peak of the brand’s design and engineering. The new Bowers & Wilkins Signature speakers have improved audio and a beautiful finish to the luxurious new cabinet. The Bowers & Wilkins 700 Series were introduced…

Snoring is not only annoying to your partner but it could also be a sign of something more serious. Now a new app called SleepCheck can examine your snoring and check if you are at risk of sleep apnoea. Developed by ResApp Health, the SleepCheck is available now for iPhone users for $7.99. It is coming soon for Android users. Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a serious medical condition which sees the intermittent partial or complete instruction of the upper airway. In some cases this can happen up to 30 times an hour per hour all night. As a result…

It’s time to listen to Episode 412 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast hosted by editor Stephen Fenech so you can stay updated and educated about the latest consumer tch news and reviews. On this week’s show, we go through the Samsung announcements from the virtual Galaxy Unpacked event including the new flagship Galaxy Note20 smartphones as well as the Galaxy Watch 2, Galaxy Buds Live, the Galaxy Tab S7 and the follow up to the original folding phone – the Galaxy Z Fold 2. In the Tech Guide reviews we’ll take a look at the new Sony WH-1000-XM4 noise…

The NBN has released its report card for the financial year 2020 and it says it has achieved straight As with the network build, activation targets and providing support for the nation during the COVID-19 pandemic. NBN has exceeded its Corporate Plan 2020-2023 and FY20 build target for June 30, 2020 by more than 230,000 to reach 11.73 million premises ready to connect. In the 12 months to June 30, 2020, the NBN connected more than 1.7 million additional homes and businesses. By the close of the 2020 financial year the number of premises connected to the NBN totalled approximately…

For the first time Apple has included watchOS for Apple Watch in the Public Beta Software Program and from today you can now install the latest software – watchOS 7. watchOS 7 includes a number of new features including sleep tracking, watch face sharing and being able to detect when you’re washing your hands and starting a 20-second timer. To install watchOS 7 Public Beta on your Apple Watch you firstly need to install the iOS 14 Public Beta on your iPhone. The using your iPhone, head to the Apple Public Beta Program page and download the profile that will…

LG has announced its new 48-inch CX 4K OLED TV – ideal for gamers and customers who want to experience the quality of OLED but don’t want a larger screen – will go on sale in Australia in September. The LG 48-inch CX 4K OLED TV was unveiled in January at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January and it complements the LG OLED line-up of 55-inch, 65-inch, 77-inch and 88-inch OLED models. The 48-inch OLED supports consumer demand for a mid-size second smart TV without compromising picture quality. It has a vivid 3840 x 2160 resolution as…

The latest macOS operating system – Big Sur – is now available to download and install for iMac and MacBook users so they can experience the new software right now. The new macOS Big Sur is a significant update to the Mac platform and includes a new design, a new-look dock, Control Centre and a faster and safer Safari browser. You can see all the new features of macOS Big Sur here. To install the macOS Big Sur Public Beta on your Mac you need to aim your browser at the Apple Beta Software Program page. To enrol your Mac…

Get the lowdown on the biggest tech stories and products with Episode 448 of the Two Blokes Talking Tech podcast with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long. On this week’s show, the blokes share their thoughts on the products released by Samsung at its virtual Unpacked launch event – the Galaxy Note20, Galaxy Note20 Ultra, the Galaxy Watch 3, the Galaxy Buds Live, the Galaxy Tab S7 and Tab S7+ and the impressive new Galaxy Z Fold2. Also on the show, TCL’s new 10 Pro and 10L smartphones, the Google Pixel 4a, the iMac gets an upgrade…