Author: Stephen Fenech

When Samsung launched the Galaxy Fold smartphone it was a gamechanger for the industry. Here was a device that is basically two products in one – a phone than unfolds to a tablet. And not only has the Galaxy Fold reimagined our everyday tasks and made it possible to be productive on the move, the Galaxy Fold has also re-invented mobile gaming. Playing games on a smartphone is one of the most popular activities on the planet. In fact, there are more than 2.1 billion mobile gamers worldwide with more than half playing over 10 times a week, according to…

Uber has unveiled a new safety feature to its app called RideCheck which will be rolling out in Australia next week in the event of a crash during a ride or an unexpectedly long delay. RideCheck will be added to the Uber app for Australian riders on February 11. The Uber app relies on GPS information to map your ride but can also use data from the sensors in your smartphone to detect possible crashes and if you are off course. It can also detect if the vehicle has been stopped for a while and RideCheck will check on you.…

Google Maps, the popular Google product that was conceived and developed in Sydney, Australia, is turning 15 years old. And it is celebrating with a host of new features and updates. Google Maps, which is used by billions of people every day, went live for the first time on February 8, 2005. It was co-founded by Australian software engineer Noel Gordon and at launch it was completely web based. Initially Google Maps were being served to more than 10 million times per day despite the fact users needed to print out their map before heading out. A year later that…

It’s time to wrap your ears around Episode 422 of the popular Two Blokes Talking Tech podcast with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long as they talk about the week’s biggest stories. On this week’s show, how the coronavirus could affect Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Panasonic to withdraw from the Australian TV market and is this the end for BlackBerry after TCL ends its licensing deal? Meanwhile, LG has added the Apple TV app to its latest smart TVs, we run our eye over the Galaxy Book S laptop and the experience with Tesla’s new Navigate…

The coronavirus won’t stop next month’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona – the biggest mobile industry gathering in the world – from going ahead despite some companies staying away or cancelling their press conferences. Mobile World Congress 2020 will still go ahead and will run from February 24-28. GSMA, organisers of MWC, has already made plans and precautions to protect attendees including increased cleaning and disinfection and encouraging people not to shake hands at the show. LG Electronics said it will not be traveling to MWC because of concerns about the coronavirus. In a statement the company said: “With the…

Leading home entertainment and audio brand Denon will bring its impressive range of TV soundbar systems to Australia for the first time to deliver an even more immersive experience watching movies and listening to music. There will be three soundbars in the range so you can choose from a 2.1, 3.0 or go all the way to a 5.1 surround sound system. DENON DHT-S516H – $1,699 This is a 2.1 channel soundbar with a wireless subwoofer which supports Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus and DTS decoding. Under the hood is advanced DSP (digital signal processing) and hi-res audio playback capability.…

Is this the final nail in the coffin for BlackBerry? The once mighty brand appears to be dead and buried after TCL Communications announced it would no longer be selling BlackBerry-branded devices. TCL entered in a brand-licensing agreement with BlackBerry in December 2016 and released the BlackBerry KEYone which was running Android with a touchscreen and the trademark physical keyboard. That device enjoyed respectable sales before TCL followed that with the KEY2 and KEY2 LE. But now TCL, as it announced in statement, no longer has the rights to design, manufacture or sell any new BlackBerry mobile devices. The company…

Our Tesla Model S never ceases to amaze us. With the latest software update we got a brand new feature – Navigate on Autopilot – which can automatically drive and navigate for us. Our Model S was already updated with Enhanced Autopilot which includes Autopilot which means the car basically drives itself (you have to keep your hand on the wheel) on freeways and clearly marked roads plus Autopark and Summon which allows you to move the car with your phone. And recently we also got the upgrade to Smart Summon which means we can get our Tesla to drive…

Do yourself a favour and tune in to Episode 385 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast, hosted by editor Stephen Fenech, so you can stay updated and educated about the latest consumer tech news and reviews. On this week’s show, Panasonic has withdrawn from the Australian TV market, what we can expect to see at the Samsung Unpacked event next week and we chat with Motorola’s Danny Adamopolous about the new Razr folding smartphone. In the Tech Guide reviews, we take a look at the Samsung Galaxy Book S laptop, Uniden releases a new range of UHF radios to stay…

The Apple TV app and the Apple TV+ subscription service are now available to enjoy on the latest LG smart TVs in Australia. Customers with compatible 2019 model LG smart TVs and those who purchase any of the upcoming 2020 LG TVs will be able to access the Apple TV app which also gives users the chance to subscribe to and watch the Apple TV+ streaming service which includes popular new shows Morning Wars, Servant, See, For All Mankind and Little America. The Apple TV app means customers don’t need to purchase and connect the Apple TV device to their…

The new Samsung Galaxy Books S gives users the best of both worlds – the speed, smarts and connectivity of a mobile device and also added the power and a full keyboard of a PC. It’s been years since Samsung played in the laptop space. The last time they did it was with limited success. They were taking on established brands who simply better products. But now with the Galaxy Books S, Samsung is not trying to play them at their own game. They have brought to the table a product that has as much in common with a smartphone as it…

Panasonic has today announced it will be withdrawing from the Australian TV market so the company can focus on other more established and successful areas of the business. Once considered one of the “big four” TV manufacturers along with Samsung, LG and Sony, Panasonic has struggled to keep pace with these major vendors and were being overtaken by other emerging Chinese brands like Hisense and TCL. Panasonic has been in the consumer electronics business for more than 100 years and was one of the top TV brands when plasma flat screen TVs literally changed the shape of the television in…

Uniden has released a range of new UHF radios – the UH600 series – to help adventurers stay in touch when camping, off-roading and hiking in remote areas outside the reach of the cellular network. Australia is a large place to explore and there are numerous remote areas where mobile reception is non-existent. The Uniden UH600 radios are built to handle rugged conditions with a lightweight, compact design that’s available in 1.5 Watt and 2-Watt versions for extended range. The Uniden UH620 series have a communication range of more than 13km so users can stay connected even in the most…

The all-conquering Bose Noise Cancelling 700 headphones – previously only available in Black or Luxe Silver – are now being offered in a limited Soapstone edition. The Bose Noise Cancelling 700 Soapstone headphones have a rose gold coloured headband that tapers to the arms connecting the earcups. The earcups themselves are an off-white ivory colour. Black and Luxe Silver are popular colours but the Soapstone will appeal to a wider audience and especially women. READ TECH GUIDE’S COMPLETE REVIEW OF THE BOSE NOISE CANCELLING 700 HEADPHONES This new style of course also comes with the same impeccable noise cancellation which…

Next week Samsung will hold its Unpacked event in San Francisco and will launch its next flagship device as well as possibly an all-new foldable phone. So what can we expect to see? The Samsung Unpacked event will be held at the San Francisco Palace of Fine Arts at 11am Feb 11 (6am Feb 12 Sydney time) and will be live streamed on the Samsung website. Samsung has again decided to hold its own event before Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in late February where all the other phone companies will unveil their 2020 line-ups. Tech Guide will be in…

Nokia has announced the latest addition to its affordable range of smartphones – the Nokia 2.3 – which has been released at the right time as school resumes and parents are looking to buy their child a device. The Nokia 2.3 has a 6.2-inch high definition display with a sleek design and a 3D nano-textured cover. The smartphone is running Android 9 Pie with 2GB RAM, 32GB internal storage and a microSD card slot that can expand your memory by up to 512GB. On the camera side, the Nokia 2.3 has a dual sensor camera – 13-megapixel and 2-megapixel as…

PC and Mac users can now enjoy a high quality wireless headset with the new Elite Atlas Aero from Turtle Beach which can immerse players even further into their games. The wireless headphones have a slick metal headband with a suspended pad as well as swappable memory foam earpads. While we were playing games on our iMac we found them to be light, easy to adjust and comfortable enough to wear for hours. And Turtle Beach has thought of everything with the Elite Atlas Aero because the headphones have a ProSpecs design which means you can wear your glasses comfortably…

Listen to Two Blokes Talking Tech Episode 421 with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long as they break down the biggest tech stories and products of the week. On this week’s show, Huawei allowed to help build the UK 5G network – but will that make Australia change its mind after banning the Chinese company, Motorola announces the pricing and availability of the folding Razr smartphone and Spotify want to enhance your in-car experience with Your Daily Drive. The blokes also talk about the Samsung Galaxy Book S, the Amazon Flex Uber-like delivery system and it’s 10…

It’s been four years since Nick Pfitzner became the first in Australia and one of the first in the world to install the Tesla Powerwall battery storage – so how money did he save? Installed by Australia’s largest solar and battery installer Natural Solar, the Tesla Powerwall in the Pfitzner household in the Sydney suburb of Kellyville Ridge has helped them save $8,463.42 on the price of their power over four years. That’s an average saving each year of $2,115.86 on household electricity bills. That means Nick Pfitzner has been able to power his home for just 46 cents a…

The UK Government has decided to allow Huawei to supply equipment for the country’s 5G rollout – a decision which flies in the face of the Australian Government move to ban the Chinese company. So will this news from the UK make the Australian Government to change its mind? Not likely. Australia made the decision to ban Huawei after pressure from the US Government which had already barred Huawei from the US 5G rollout as well. For then Prime Minister Malcom Turnbull and for current Prime Minister Scott Morrison, life is a lot easier when the US Government and Donald…