Author: Stephen Fenech

Oppo has just unveiled its latest flagship smartphone – the Find X2 – which includes the latest display technology, an advanced camera, fast charging and 5G connectivity. The sleek device is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 5G processor with 12GB RAM and 512GB storage. It will be available in two colours – Ceramic Black which has a textured feel to prevent fingerprints and Orange vegan leather. What grabs your attention right away is the 6.7-inch OLED Ultra Vision screen which can be set to 120Hz refresh rate for even smoother scrolling, games, sports and actions movies. It is a…

Two Blokes Talking Tech Episode 426, with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long, takes a look at the week’s biggest stories and we also deliver our verdicts on Samsung’s new Galaxy S20 Ultra smartphone. Also on this week’s show, Vodafone kicks off its 5G rollout, severe iPhone shortage as a result of the coronavirus, Belkin’s new USB-C earphones, Ecovacs Robotics offer an amazing bargain with the Deebot OZMO 900 for Aldi customers and Hisense inks a huge three-year NRL sponsorship deal. You can listen to the show right here on the Tech Guide site using the audio…

Uniden has introduced two new models in its baby monitor range – Baby Watch – which offers parents and smart and easy way to keep an eye on their babies from anywhere. The Uniden Baby Watch BW140R and BW150R include a full high definition camera that can stream live video to the companion app on a smartphone or tablet so there’s no need for a separate display. The My Uniden app allows parents to watch live video of their child from the next room or from anywhere with an internet connection. The cameras not only capture clear video but both…

If you want to add a touch of luxury to your iPhone 11 Pro or iPhone Pro Max then you need the elegant Ronin case from premium accessories maker Element Case. Ronin combines highly-polished alloy crowns and G10 reinforced rails with an elegant leather back plate to from a case that exudes quality. The stylish case doesn’t add too much bulk to the iPhone 11 Pro and it does feel good in your hand. The leather back plate has a nice texture that’s a far cry from a cold flat surface. The nickel-plated polished (CNC) aluminium crowns offer maximum metal…

Vodafone has officially activated its 5G network in Australia with the first sites going live in Parramatta in Sydney’s west. The company has also announced there will be no additional charge to customers to access 5G. There are more than 650 5G sites planned around the country in the first phase of the rollout with thousands more on the roadmap in the coming years. The first sites will be located in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Canberra and will go live from mid 2020. Vodafone CEO Inaki Berroeta says Vodafone customers will soon be able to access the 5G…

The effects of the coronavirus are biting deep across the tech industry and Apple, one of the biggest companies in the world, has been hit so hard we are facing a severe iPhone shortage in Australia. Tech Guide has spoken with several telco retailers from Telstra, Vodafone and Optus with all confirming their iPhone stock has dried up. And to make matters worse, freight forwarding company Toll Group – a distributor of iPhone stock – is still in disarray after a recent ransomware attack which is affecting local deliveries. Staff from telcos stores told us there could be up to…

This special edition of the Two Blokes Talking Tech podcast with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long is coming to you from the Sennheiser Store in the Sydney CBD. Stephen and Trevor take a tour of the store which was built inside a heritage listed former Commonwealth Bank building commonly known as the “Money Box”. It is a place where customers can experience every product in the vast Sennheiser portfolio from affordable earphones and wireless noise cancelling headphones through to audio production equipment, the AMBEO TV soundbar and high-end audio equipment that will delight audiophiles all the…

Ecovacs Robotics will be returning to Aldi next week with its Deebot OZMO 900 robot vacuum at a bargain price after selling out models in March and September last year at greatly reduced prices in minutes. The Deebot OZMO 900 is a two-in-one product that can vacuum your carpets and also mop your floors. This model which usually retails for $999 will be offered at Aldi for a limited time from March 11 for just $399. The robot vacuum can also map your entire home and be controlled entirely from the Ecovacs companion app which can create virtual boundaries and…

Apple has just announced the winners of its Shot on iPhone Night mode challenge after iPhone users around the world answered the call to showcase the low-light capabilities of the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max. A curated panel of judges selected the six winning photos created by iPhone photographers from countries including China, India, Russia and Spain. The winning images will be featured at Apple’s website and on Apple’s Instagram account as well as appearing on billboards globally. Here are the winning shots: Konstantin Chalabov (Moscow, Russia), iPhone 11 Pro Phil Schiller says: Konstantin’s photo…

The headphone jack is slowly disappearing from smartphones but there is still an affordable way to connect and hear your content in impressive quality with the Belkin Rockstar Headphones with USB-C connector. Available in black or white and priced at just $69.95, the Belkin Rockstar Headphones with USB-C connector will work with any smartphone that has a USB port including the latest Samsung Galaxy S20 which became the latest device to ditch the headphone jack. The Rockstar Headphones come with three silicone ear tips to ensure a comfortable fit. These tips also provide some passive noise isolation as well so…

We’re back with a fresh show for you – Episode 389 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast, hosted by editor Stephen Fenech, is here so you can stay updated and educated about the latest consumer tech news and reviews. On this week’s show, Samsung is set to change the cinema-going experience, we go hands on with the new Huawei Mate Xs foldable smartphone and TV manufacturer Hisense seals a major NRL sponsorship deal. In the Tech Guide reviews, we take a look at the Samsung Galaxy S20 flagship smartphone, Ultimate Ears launch the bigger and louder Hyperboom portable Bluetooth speaker…

Messenger from Facebook has had a complete makeover on iOS and is now a faster, smaller and simpler app that will load and work twice as fast as before. It will start rollout out firstly to iPhone users from today. That’s an important feature for a messaging app so you can stay in touch and up to date with your friends and family And not only that, the app itself is now a quarter of the size with the core code has been reduced by 84 per cent. The version of Facebook Messenger has been dubbed Lightspeed and it has…

Samsung’s new Galaxy S20 range of flagship phones are a solid leap ahead of the previous S10. They have the tentpole features that customers look for when upgrading or switching from another brand – the display, the camera, the battery, the performance and 5G. The model number hasn’t gone up by just one – Samsung skipped 11 through to 19 – so they owed us a huge upgrade. And that’s exactly what we got. Plus I don’t think Samsung were too keen on releasing a phone with 11 in the title less than six months after the iPhone 11 hit…

Lady Gaga has just released her new single Stupid Love with music super star revealing  the accompanying music video was entirely on the iPhone 11 Pro. The video shows the typically colourful Lady Gaga in a desert location with a backdrop of mountain ranges. She is surrounded by dancers in bright costumes and the camera, in this case the iPhone 11 Pro, follows them as they go through their high-energy dance routines. https://youtu.be/5L6xyaeiV58 The iPhone 11 Pro was used on a gimbal to maintain smooth moving shots and pans. There are some sections that also look lie they were shot…

TV manufacturer Hisense Australia has announced a major three-year sponsorship deal with the National Rugby League (NRL) which includes the naming rights for the NRL’s Thursday Night Football broadcast. The deal between the NRL and the Chinese TV and appliances company kicks off just in time for the launch of the 2020 NRL Season on March 12 and will encompass all 192 premiership matches and eight final series fixtures. “We are thrilled to be partnering with the NRL and bringing the Hisense brand closer to the NRL’s passionate fan base,” says Andre Iannuzzi, head of marketing at Hisense Australia. “This…

Huawei has just unveiled the latest version of its impressive foldable smartphone – the Mate Xs – and Tech Guide has taken a hands-on look at the device. We saw the original Mate X at the 2019 Mobile World Congress and was one of the first to film a hands-on video of the foldable phone. Despite the cancellation of Mobile World Congress 2020 over fears of the coronavirus, Huawei still pressed ahead with its announcement of the Mate Xs which is an update to the original model revealed a year earlier. https://youtu.be/fvQGIaJfyR0 Tech Guide was able to take a hands-on…

Start your weekend right with Episode 425 of the 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, ACMA has launched new security measures for porting numbers, Motorola Razr is delayed and Huawei introduces its latest foldable – the Mate Xs. The blokes also talk about the Samsung Onyx LED Cinema screen now at Hoyts, Crossy Road Castle launches on Apple Arcade, eBay offers an image tool for users and Telstra launches a new wave of 5G in Australia. Stephen and…

The Australian Communications and Media Authority will be implementing new security measures to port mobile numbers between carriers which has in the past been used in scams and cybercrimes. The new Telecommunications (Mobile Number Pre-Porting Additional Identity Verification) Industry Standard 2020 will protect customers from potential fraud and identity theft. In the past all someone needed to port a number was the phone number, an account number and a date of birth. Criminals have been able port mobile numbers without the actual owner’s knowledge and then were able to approve bank transfers and access to other accounts even when a…

For more than 120 years cinemas have used projectors to screen the latest films but Samsung is changing that in Australia after unveiling its first Onyx Cinema LED screen – a 14m display that’s like a giant TV. The 14m Samsung Onyx Cinema LED has just been unveiled at Hoyts Entertainment Quarter in Sydney’s Moore Park. Another 10m screen will be installed at Hoyts Highpoint in Melbourne in March. The installation of the Samsung Onyx Cinema LED screen has introduced a new era for moviegoers which will offer an all-new and immersive viewing experience. Movie lovers will enjoy deep blacks,…

Telstra will be giving its customers early access to the millimetre wave (mmWave) 5G spectrum before the middle of the year with the launch of Australia’s first mmWave 5G-enabled portable wi-fi hotspot. Telstra has already begun internal testing of the technology with work already underway rolling out trial sites before an expected auction of the mmWave spectrum in 2021. “mmWave will supercharge 5G. Its higher capacity and the potential to deliver even faster speeds as well as lower latency will help power the next generation of devices and innovations,” says Telstra CEO Andy Penn. “Putting its power and opportunities into…