Author: Stephen Fenech

With so many ride sharing services on offer, the taxi industry is under siege but it is striking back with a new feature called MyDriver which will allow customers to book their favourite drivers for their next trip. Available through the 13cabs app, MyDriver will be available in Sydney, Melbourne, Newcastle, Brisbane, Gold Coast and Adelaide so riders can request specific drivers to have more control of their journeys. Here’s how it works: After you’ve finished your trip go to MyDriver in the 13cabs app menu and press Add Driver in the top right of the screen. Add the Driver’s…

Arlo has just released the Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight Camera – the first wire-free floodlight camera – which combines the company’s award-winning security cameras with powerful LEDs to make our home even more secure. When it was unveiled in Las Vegas in January, the Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight Camera was a CES 2020 Innovation Award Honoree. The Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight Camera features a 2K camera – basically the Arlo Pro 3 camera – which includes HDR to see even more detail in the captured video. It also has a wide 160-degree field of view as well as two-way audio…

It’s time to get updated and educated about the latest consumer tech news and reviews with Episode 401 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast, hosted by editor Stephen Fenech. On this week’s show, Australian researchers have set a world record for internet speed, new Binge streaming service has just launched and the update from Apple and Google that will make the COVIDSafe app even more effective. In the Tech Guide reviews, we’ll take to the skies with the DJI Mavic Air 2 drone, we’ll broadcast ourselves with the Logitech StreamCam and Samsung’s ultra-curved monitor. In the Tech Guide Help Desk…

LG has unveiled the pricing and availability of its 2020 line-up of premium soundbars with smart functionality to enhance your home viewing experience. There are nine soundbars in LG’s range which complement the company’s recently released OLED, NanoCell and UHD TVs. Once again, LG has partnered with respected UK audio brand Meridian to deliver an even more dynamic sound and support for 3D surround sound formats like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X which are being used with some of Hollywood’s biggest productions. The LG 2020 models include the SN11RG, SN10YG, SN9YG, SN8YG, SN7Y, SN7CY which all include Meridian’s Bass and Space…

Apple’s flagship Sydney store will reopen on Thursday May 28 after being shuttered for four months as it underwent a complete facelift to adopt an all-new store design. The glass doors of Apple’s first Australian store – which was opened for the first time in 2008 – will re-open at 10am on May 28 to offer customers service and support and access to its popular Genius Bar. Apple will still maintain strict social distancing and temperature checks at the door before customers are allowed to entered in limited numbers. The new Apple Sydney store will maintain its iconic glass facade…

Telstra has today launched the 5G Wi-Fi Pro – Australia’s first 5G mobile broadband device with mmWave capability – to connect at higher speeds on the move across the country on the Telstra network. The Telstra 5G Wi-Fi Pro will be available through Telstra stores for $599 outright or for $24.95 a month for 24 months. The device has a 2.4-inch touchscreen which displays the network name and password as well as a usage meter so you can see at a glance how much data you’ve used. Also onboard is an Ethernet port to connect an external device with a…

DJI has proven once again why they are the premier drone manufacturer with the release of the Mavic Air 2 which has an even better camera as well as longer flight time and greater range. The Mavic Air 2, like the other Mavic drones, is a fold down model so it is quite small in the folded position – as small as a water bottle and just as easy to carry around with you so it’s a perfect companion for your next holiday or road trip. It is surprisingly small and light and, we’ll be honest, we were wondering whether…

Australia’s latest streaming service has been appropriately called Binge – and will officially kick off on Monday May 25 with an impressive line-up of content and starting at $10 a month. And Binge is exactly what Foxtel, the company behind Binge and sport streaming service Kayo, hopes customers will do as it goes up against established services like Netflix and Stan, Disney+ and Apple TV+. But it’s all about the content and Binge has a mammoth catalogue which offers more than 10,000 hours of ad-free viewing. Binge has derived its content from some of the world’s most popular creators including…

Get comfortable with Episode 437 of the popular Two Blokes Talking Tech podcast with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long as they discuss the week’s biggest stories and products. On this week’s show, the Apple and Google update to the COVIDSafe app, why we will continue to work from home after restrictions lift, Samsung launches is more affordable A Series smartphones, Foxtel set to launch Binge streaming service, Facebook makes Messenger safer and more private and the IFA tech trade show in Berlin will go ahead as a physical show. You can listen to the show right…

If you’re an iPhone user or recently purchased the iPhone SE, Belkin has a range of products that cover your audio and charging requirements and help users get the most out of their devices. On the charging side, Belkin has three products that can charge your iPhone at home and on the move. For your audio, Belkin has wired earphones with a Lightning connector. And if you need to charge the iPhone and want to listen to your tunes at the same, Belkin has product that provides a 3.5mm headphone jack and a Lightning port. Here are the Belkin products:…

Optus has once again maintained its top spot for maintaining the highest percentage of maximum download speeds on the NBN during the busy evening period. The Measuring Broadband Australia report showed Optus met or exceeded advertised download speeds during busy hours 100 per cent of the time. Next best on NBN 50/20Mbps and 100/40Mbps plans during the month of February was Dodo and iPrimus – both on 98 per cent followed by Exetel on 96 per cent, Aussie Broadband (94 per cent) and iiNet (93 per cent). Telstra was down the list on 83 per cent with My Republic (75…

Facebook’s Messenger has launched new safety features which will help the millions of users worldwide avoid harmful interactions and potential scams while still maintaining their privacy. Now there are new tools to secure your Messenger account and receive warnings for suspicious activity. These safety notices will automatically pop up in a Messenger chat if it senses something is not right as well as providing options to block or ignore someone. These features were introduced in Android in March and will be rolled out to iOS users this week. Keeping minors safe on the Messenger platform is also a key responsibility…

Apple and Google have launched a software update to improve the efficiency of the COVIDSafe contract tracing app on iPhones and Android devices in Australia. The new API (application programming interface) as part of today’s update was fine-tuned over the past five weeks with feedback from health and government officials in 22 countries – including Australia. The key pain points were improving the use of Bluetooth in contact tracing apps and ensuring they will work in the background and making sure Apple and Android phones can detect each other and connect more easily through the app. For iPhone users, the…

If you’d like to broadcast yourself easily and in decent quality or want to look your best for your next video meeting then the Logitech StreamCam is an ideal solution. The device has come along at just the right time and can be used for live streaming as well video chats which have become the norm as we work from home during the coronavirus crisis. We’re dialling in from home and having video meetings with the current COVID-19 restrictions in place and the StreamCam can help you look and sound your best. Logitech StreamCam has an adjustable mount that can…

Foxtel will launch a new streaming service next week – believed to be called Binge – into the already over-crowded streaming market with a list of exclusive titles and entertainment properties. Binge, which is believed to be modelled after Foxtel’s Kayo sports streaming service, will come about as a result of Foxtel’s recent deal with HBO and HBO Max – the studio behind blockbusters like Game of Thrones, The Wire, Veep, Westworld and Chernobyl. The entertainment service will sit alongside Kayo and will be seen as an alternative to the premium Foxtel Pay TV service which has seen subscriber numbers…

The annual IFA tech trade show in Berlin will go ahead as a physical show in September – one of the first events that will go against the virtual conference trend during the coronavirus crisis. The show’s organisers says the show will be greatly reduced in terms of attendee numbers and will use social distancing measures and strict public health rules. In its new format, IFA will be split into four standalone sections with a limit of 1,000 attendees per day. All sessions will also be held onsite at Messe Berlin instead of being spread across the city. And unlike…

Dyson is offering customers some great deals after joining the Click Frenzy sale with some of its most popular cordless vacuums and hair dryers discounted by up to 30 per cent. These offers are only available for a limited time through the Dyson website. Here’s what Dyson is offering during Click Frenzy: Vacuums V8 Animal Click Frenzy price: $549 V10 Motorhead (Event SKU) Click Frenzy price: $699 V11 Torque Copper Click Frenzy price: $899 V11 Absolute Pro Click Frenzy price: $999 V11 Absolute Pro + Click Frenzy price: $1,049 Hair dryer Receive two bonus gifts when purchasing a Dyson Supersonic™…

Samsung has just launched its most curved and immersive monitor – the CT55 – which is designed to offer the user a comfortable close viewing angle. Available in 32-inch and 27-inch, the Samsung CT55 full high definition monitor has a curvature of 1000R to immerse the user in their content whether its work, entertainment or a game. The 1000R curvature matches the human field of view so a person can see the entire screen in one glance which helps reduce visual fatigue especially over longer periods of use. The curvature of the monitor is measured in terms of the circular…

Here it is – the 400th Episode of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast, hosted by editor Stephen Fenech, that has been keeping listeners updated and educated since June 2012. To celebrate this milestone we’re giving listeners the chance to win a Uniden Dash View 30 Dash cam – to enter you need to listen out for the codeword and enter here. On this week’s show, why many of us will continue to work from home even after the coronavirus restrictions lift, TV sales have gone through the roof – and we’ll tell you why and – it’s official – 5G…

When it comes to noise cancelling headphones there are a few choices and they sort of all have the same features but Skullcandy manages to add something new with the Crusher ANC (active noise cancelling) headphones. Priced at $599.95 (but we’ve seen them as low as $530), the Skullcandy Crusher ANC is competing against premium brands like Bose, Bowers & Wilkins, Sennheiser and Sony and will probably attract a younger listener who would usually gravitate to a more “street” brand like Beats by Dr Dre. The Skullcandy headphones certainly deliver what a younger listener would be attracted to –  bold…