Author: Stephen Fenech

The Two Blokes Talking Tech – EFTM’s Trevor Long and Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech – were social distancing when they recorded Episode 429 of the podcast that takes a look at the biggest tech stories of the week. On this week’s show, the most popular apps to work from home and how it will pan out on the future and how the coronavirus may force the delay of the 5G iPhone. Also on the program, Foxtel offers extra content for free for people self isolating, Dyson answers the call from the UK Government to design a ventilator in…

Huawei has unveiled its new flagship smartphones – the P40 and the P40 Pro – which includes innovative new camera systems to lift your photography and video standards. But Huawei still faces a challenge in the market as their devices won’t include the Google Play Store and other Google services and need some work to get them on the device. Huawei will offer a complimentary service to help customers set up the device. The Huawei P40 smartphones are 5G devices and also support the latest wi-fi standard – Wi-Fi 6. But it’s the camera that will get your attention with…

Dyson has answered the call from British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to design and build a new ventilator in just 10 days to help patients who have been stuck down by the coronavirus. The result is CoVent a new ventilator designed in partnership with TTP (The Technology Partnership) which meets clinician-led specifications to address the needs of COVID-19 patients. Usually known for its vacuum, fans and air purifiers, Dyson met the request to create a ventilator that was safe, effective and efficient in conserving oxygen, portable, easy to use and that can bed-mounted and not requiring a fixed air supply.…

Disney has released Star Wars The Rise of Skywalker and every other Star Wars film on 4K a week early ahead of a possible coronavirus lockdown which will give fans a chance to enjoy a marathon if they are forced to stay in their homes. The home entertainment release of Episode XI The Rise of Skywalker wasn’t due in stores until April 1 but stores, which had received stock today, were informed that they were able break the embargo and put the title on the shelf. Also due April was every other Star Wars film on 4K including the original…

The release of Apple’s highly-anticipated 5G iPhone 12 may be delayed until 2021 as a result of the massive disruption of the coronavirus on the company’s production schedule and shifting global demand. According to the Nikkei Asian Review, Apple has already discussed internally the prospect of delaying the next iPhone release, usually in September, by several months which could push the launch to early 2021. Apple has been seriously impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak which brought the Chinese factories including Foxconn, where the majority of the company’s products are produced, to a standstill. Even when production was eventually ramped up…

Foxtel has responded to the fact we’re spending a lot more time at home to prevent the spread of the coronavirus by offering more content and more ways to watch your favourite shows. From today until the end of May Foxtel customers will now have access to more content on the drama, entertainment, lifestyle, documentaries, reality and kids channels and the on-demand libraries. Foxtel has also added two more screens to customers with access to Multiscreen so more family members can watch at the same time which includes casting the Foxtel Go app to even more TVs. If you’re a…

One of the sad parts of the coronavirus crisis is that older Australians are most at risk and have been well and truly isolated. But there is a product called Sofihub that allows us to provide care and attention without breaking the isolation rules. Developed by Australian company Unisono, the Sofihub device looks like a smart speaker that also offer a range of sensors and movement detectors to monitor and understand the habits of the people in the home. It also comes with six motion sensors that can be placed around the home in various rooms. Sofihub can also remember…

The latest and most powerful iPad Pro has edged even closer to behaving like a fully-fledged laptop thanks to significantly improved performance and new support to pair a mouse or trackpad. Apple has also unveiled a new Magic Keyboard with backlit keys and a trackpad – but this review won’t include it as it’s not due till May. The tablet still offers stunning 11-inch and 12.9-inch Liquid Retina displays which make your content, apps, web pages, images and videos look amazing. The new onboard A12Z Bionic chip isn’t a massive improvement on last year’s iPad Pro but an improvement nonetheless…

Episode 392 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast, hosted by editor Stephen Fenech, is right here so you can stay updated and educated about the latest consumer tech news and reviews. On this week’s show, the positive and negative effects of the coronavirus crisis on the tech world, how to set yourself up to make the best quality video calls if you’re working from home and Apple has unveiled a new iPad Pro. In the Tech Guide reviews, we take a look at Apple’s brand new MacBook Air, Samsung has announced the pricing for its Samsung Galaxy Z Flip and…

We’ve heard a lot of instructions on how to wash your hands to avoid catching or spreading coronavirus but we should be paying just as much attention to cleaning our smartphone screens. Research has shown the COVID-19 virus can survive for up to nine days on some surfaces including your smartphone’s screen. We touch our phones thousands a times a day and also bring it up to our face, mouth and nose when we’re making and receiving calls. Other studies have shown our smartphones carry 10 times more germs than a toilet seat which it picks up from surfaces, from…

The MacBook Air is the most popular laptop in the Apple line-up and it just got even better with more memory, a faster processor and the biggest change of all – a new scissor mechanism Magic Keyboard. Design-wise, the new 2020 MacBook Air looks virtually identical – it still has a 13-inch Retina display, still has two Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports, a headphone jack and, of course, it’s still one of the thinnest and lightest laptops you can buy. In fact, I was in the audience at Macworld 2008 when then Apple CEO Steve Jobs dramatically introduced the original MacBook…

D-Link has released its new DWR-956 Wireless AC1200 4G LTE Router which includes Gigabit Ethernet ports to connect other devices as well as VoIP calling capability – an ideal product for those who need to work remotely. The DWR-956 has a slot for a 4G data SIM and can achieve download speeds of up to 150Mbps and upload speeds up to 50Mbps. The router can then create a wireless network for your home or office or any area that you have to covert to an office in a hurry. The DWR-956 is dual band and also supports WPA/WPA2, MAC address…

The coronavirus has forced public gatherings to be banned so no crowds at the footy, no weddings, conventions, concerts and other events. But what about a funeral? They can’t be postponed but the good news you can still pay your respects without being there in person. OneRoom has been live streaming funerals for more than nine years for friends and loved ones who were unable to attend. With the coronavirus now triggering travel restrictions and public gatherings, OneRoom has seen a huge increase in online attendance at funeral services. In a single week they have increased by more than 60…

Australian podcast hosting platform Whooshka has added a whole new dimension to podcasting with a new private feed that allows podcasters to create content for select audiences or community groups. To kick it off Whooshka has partnered with Australian audio company Rode to deliver course materials to schools. This week Rode donated $2m worth of its podcasting equipment to Australian high schools so they can create course materials for students who may be forced to learn remotely because of the coronavirus. https://youtu.be/wLHREfD9zw0 To do this Whooshka has created a private podcast platform that can distribute the content directly to students. This move has the potential…

Self-isolate with Episode 428 of the Two Blokes Talking Tech podcast with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long as they dissect the week’s biggest tech stories and product announcements. On this week’s show, Apple announces a new iPad Pro and an updated MacBook Air, can the NBN handle the onslaught of so many people in Australia working from home, Samsung announces pricing and availability of the Galaxy Z Flip folding smartphone, Sonos updates its software and Rode donates podcasting equipment to Australian high schools. You can listen to the show right here on the Tech Guide site…

Apple has launched the latest version of the MacBook Air with twice the performance, more storage and a new Magic Keyboard and it’s also cheaper than the previous model. The latest MacBook Air has a 13-inch Retina display and is powered for the first time by a 10th generation quad-core Intel Core i7 processor so it’s up to twice as fast when compared to the previous generation. An important new feature is the Magic Keyboard, which we first saw on the 16-inch MacBook Pro, with a re-designed scissor mechanism so there is 1mm of travel with the keys for more…

Apple has unveiled a brand new iPad Pro which offers laptop-level power, a new pro-level camera system, a LiDAR scanner and a re-imagined Magic Keyboard that now includes a trackpad. Usually Apple would hold an event and invite media from around the world to launch a product like this but the coronavirus changed all that. The new iPad Pro goes on sale on March 25 through the online stores and in Apple Stores once they are re-opened. Available with edge-to-edge 11-inch and 12.9-inch Liquid Retina displays, the new iPad Pro is powered by the A12Z Bionic chip which makes it…

OK, you’ve been told you need to work from home for the next few weeks, possibly the next few months, because of the coronavirus outbreak so you need to create a workspace that help you stay focused and productive. There has never been a better time to do a stocktake on not only your equipment but also your workspace as well. We’re assuming you already have a good wi-fi connection and you’ve already optimised your NBN connection if you already have one. Here’s what you need to create a work-from-home office: COMPUTER On the equipment side, it’s obvious we need…

The D-Link COVR-2202 Tri-band mesh wi-fi system has become the latest product in the company’s portfolio to also include McAfee internet security to protect all of your connected products. The D-Link mesh wi-fi system has a base station that connects to your modem and a satellite that can be positioned in the central part of the home or office to provide high-speed wireless coverage up to 560 square metres. It has six antennas along with MU-MIMO technology which means even coverage across your home for fast and consistent streaming. The system now includes the McAfee Secure Home Platform which offers…

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip foldable smartphone will go on sale in Australia on April 3 and it will be priced at $2,199. Pre-orders will kick off on March 20. The folding device opens up to reveal a 6.7-inch display which is actually Samsung’s proprietary Ultra Thin Glass (UTG) so it looks slimmer and glossier. Tech Guide went hands on with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip in San Francisco at last month’s launch event. https://youtu.be/dxruGNcNGOc With an open screen the device is 16.73cm long and just 6.9mm thick and has a narrow 21.9:9 aspect ratio. When the device is open,…