Author: Stephen Fenech

Sound plays such a big part in the enjoyment of movies and TV shows so it’s worth taking a look at a soundbar that can really improve the audio and provide an even more immersive experience. JBL has just released the BAR series of soundbars to suit all budgets and all audio tastes. There are three new models which all offer a sleek minimal design and can create home theatre quality directional audio. The soundbars available now include: BAR 2.0 All-In-One, BAR 2.1 Deep Bass and BAR 5.1 Surround. The JBL BAR 9.1 ATMOS will be available in July. JBL…

Apple and Google, normally competitors in the smartphone space, have joined forces to enable the use of Bluetooth technology to help track and reduce the spread of coronavirus. By using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and apps from health organisations, a new contact tracking system can be created. Every time a phone comes within close range of another device for a few seconds, that phone will be stored in a database. Health authorities will have access to this data, with the approval of users, so if someone in the list tests positive to coronavirus, other people who came within close contact…

Start your Easter long weekend with Episode 431 of Two Blokes Talking Tech – EFTM’s Trevor Long and Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech – as they discuss the week’s biggest tech stories and products. On this week’s show, LG launches its 2020 TV range, BenQ offers an affordable projector while Kogan launches its biggest ever TVs. Google stats show we’re staying home, DreamLab has been re-tooled to help research a cure for coronavirus, Arlo launches new video doorbell and TCL has announced pricing for its latest 10 Series smartphones. You can listen to the show right here on the Tech…

Alcatel has built a solid reputation as a company that offers quality smartphones with impressive features – like the new Alcatel 3X – at really affordable prices. During our review of the Alcatel 3X we would often show the device to people and describe its features – triple camera system, fingerprint reader, face unlock, 6.52-inch HD+ display, dual SIM 4G, 4,000mAh battery – and ask them what they’d expect to pay. The responses ranged from $599 up to $899. Now you can imagine their shock when I told them the Alcatel 3X was just $299. They would take it out…

More than 20 million Australians will be asked to help fight the coronavirus in their sleep thanks to the Vodafone Foundation and the power of the DreamLab. DreamLab is an app that was launched in 2015 in partnership with the Garvan Institute of Medical Research and uses the processing power of idle smartphones to fast track cancer research. Now the app will be re-tooled to help speed up The Imperial College London research as they try to find anti-viral properties in existing medicines and anti-viral food molecules to help unlock a cure for COVID-19. And Australians can help with that…

Australian company Rode Microphones has released a white version of its popular wireless Wireless Go microphone along with a number of accessories that make the product even more versatile. The Rode Wireless Go is a compact digital wireless microphone system that is ideal for filmmakers, vloggers and journalists. It is made up of two small transmitters that connects to your camera. The other transmitter can also be used as a standalone microphone or attached to the Lavalier Go (sold separately). It is now available in a white version which can be used against white clothing and in lighter environments so…

You can’t go to the movies right now but you can set up a cinema in your home without breaking the bank with the BenQ TH585 full high definition projector. BenQ is the global No 1 DLP projector brand and its latest product is ideal for watching movies and playing games on a grander scale. The projector has built in 10W speakers so it can provide a complete audio visual experience without the need to hook up numerous speakers or an expensive receiver. Simply hook up your Blu-ray or DVD player and press play. It has a special Game Mode…

IKEA has expanded its range of smart home products with the launch of new smart blinds which can be controlled wirelessly and with a timer to make it easier to control the lighting conditions. There are two smart blinds – FYRTUR and KADRILJ – and they will be offered in sheer and block out versions with prices starting from $189. They can be used through the TRADFRI gateway as well as with the IKEA app which makes it possible to group several blinds together and control as one. The blinds already come pre-paired with the provided remote control and they…

Sony has given us the first glimpse of the DualSense Wireless Game Controller that will be used with the upcoming PlayStation 5 which is scheduled for releases at the end of the year. The controller is now being shipped to game developers to allow them to implement the new features into their games including a sense of touch and new adaptive triggers that allow users to feel the tension of your actions like drawing a bow to shoot an arrow. Sony wants players to feel like this controller is an extension of themselves. The other challenge was to design the…

LG has unveiled the pricing and availability of it 2020 8K and 4K TV line-up including new OLED and NanoCell models that are available in sizes up to 88-inch. There are 27 new LG TVs being launched including the GX Gallery series, 8K ZX models and 4K NanoCell TVs. LG continues its leadership in the OLED format that now offer improved viewing and gaming experiences. 8K continues to lead the LG TV flagship range of TVs with an 88-inch and 77-inch OLED TVs. There will also be seven 8K models in the NanoCell range – 75-inch and 65-inch in the…

Arlo, the number one connected wireless security camera brand, has just released a video doorbell that adds a number of smart and convenient features to your front door. The Arlo Video Doorbell offers a whole new dimension to smart entry solutions with its expertise from its camera technology. It will include high definition video quality and a wider 180-degree field of view and a square aspect ratio so users can see a larger and clearer view of their front door. This means you can view visitors from head to toe and see at a glance if there are any packages…

Let us give the latest consumer tech news and reviews in Episode 394 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast hosted by editor Stephen Fenech so you can stay updated and educated. On this week’s show, how you can sort out your home wi-fi issues once and for all, Motorola releases the Razr folding phone – but didn’t let anyone review it and Apple has joined the coronavirus fight by making face shields for health workers. In the Tech Guide reviews we’ll give you our verdict on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip folding smartphone, Fitbit has released the new Charge 4…

Vodafone has announced it will offer a temporary $10 a month Stay Connected Cap Plan to offer relief to customers experiencing financial difficulty during the coronavirus crisis. The plan will be available from April 20 for existing Vodafone post-paid consumer and business customers on Red or Red Plus plans. They will be able to apply through the Vodafone website for the Stay Connected Cap Plan. The plan includes 3GB data and unlimited standard national voice calls and SMS in Australia for $10 a month for three months. “We recognise this is a very stressful time for many of our customers…

The coronavirus crisis has created the perfect storm for cyber criminals with more people online and working from home and creating a larger target for scams. Here’s how you can protect yourself. And with so many people now working remotely outside the protection of their company’s secure IT environment this makes them even more vulnerable. “While the world is grinding to a halt, cyber-attacks are on the rise, preying on public fear and anxiety,” says Yenni Tim, researcher of Cybersecurity at the UNSW Business School. The number of scams and phishing email attacks has risen just as quickly as the…

TCL’s latest smartphones in the 10 Series line-up will be launched in the Australian market in Q2 with the latest display technology and impressive features but at affordable prices. The three TCL 10 Series smartphones were unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show including the company’s first 5G smartphone – the TCL 10 5G which will available later in the year. But the other two models – the TCL 10 Pro and the TCL 10L – will be available in Australia in the coming weeks and will be priced at $899 and $499 respectively. “As one of the world’s leading consumer…

Kogan has launched its largest TVs yet – massive 82-inch and 72-inch 4K UHD TVs – in direct response to customer demand for even larger screens. Australians are spending more time at home watching and streaming movies and TV shows on demand and a larger screen offers a more cinematic experience. “Our mission is to make the most in-demand products more affordable and accessible to customers which is why we’re pleased to update our range of Android TVs to include our largest TV from Kogan yet – the Kogan 82-inch Smart TV,” said Sergiy Bobrovnychyy, Kogan.com Director of Exclusive Brands. The new…

Oppo has launched a sub-$500 smartphone – the A91 – which includes a slick design and a range of top-shelf features normally found on devices that cost more than twice as much. The Oppo A91, available in stores now for $499, has a 6.4-inch FHD+ AMOLED display which goes edge to edge with a screen-to-body ratio of 90.7 per cent. The device weighs just 172g and has a thickness of just 7.9mm. On the camera side, there is a 48-megapixel main camera, an 8-megapixel wide-angle macro lens, a mono lens and portrait mode with 4 in 1 pixel combination technology…

Apple has joined the fight against coronavirus by redirecting its product designers and engineers to design and produce face shields for health workers. Apple CEO Tim Cook shared a video message and showed off the face shield which can be assembled in less than two minutes. Apple is dedicated to supporting the worldwide response to COVID-19. We’ve now sourced over 20M masks through our supply chain. Our design, engineering, operations and packaging teams are also working with suppliers to design, produce and ship face shields for medical workers. pic.twitter.com/3xRqNgMThX — Tim Cook (@tim_cook) April 5, 2020 The first shipment has…

With more Australians working and learning from home and everyone else self-isolating there has never been more pressure on our wireless networks. Buying  a mesh wi-fi network can solve all of your issues. One of the questions Tech Guide gets asked most often is “how can I improve my home wi-fi?” because the network just doesn’t reach all parts of their home. And now with more people getting on to the NBN, the problem has reared its head again. New customers to the NBN find that their modem/router supplied by their service provider is also at one end of the…

Kick off your weekend with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long for Episode 430 of the popular Two Blokes Talking Tech podcast as they go through the week’s biggest tech stories and products. On this week’s show, Stephen and Trevor share their thoughts on the new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip folding smartphone, the affordable Alcatel smartphones and whether the day of the expensive smartphone is over and Samsung unveils pricing and availability of its 2020 TV range. Also on the program, the NBN data stats show the network is coping well, new Messenger desktop app launched, Mastercard…