Author: Stephen Fenech

Would you like a Coke with your name on it for free? You can get just that simply by asking for it with Amazon Alexa and have the personalised Coke delivered to their doorstep. Coca Cola Australia has partnered with Amazon so customers with an Alexa-enabled device need to simply say “Alexa, let’s share a Coke”. A text message will then be sent to their nominated mobile number with a link to the Share A Coke website. Up to 2000 customers will be able to take advantage of the free offer. After that it will cost $7 per bottle plus…

Spotify, the popular music streaming service, wants to join you in the car with a brand new playlist called Your Daily Drive that combines music with news talk shows and podcasts. Sound familiar? It’s just like the radio. With more than 80 per cent of Australians listening to music in their car at least once a week, Spotify wants to give users the chance to personalise the experience. It brings the music that you love and combines that with short-form podcast news shows from The Newsroom, The Quicky, The Squiz, 7am, Wall Street Journal, NPR and PRI. Your Daily Drive…

The coronavirus outbreak in China is having an impact on the tech world with companies including Apple being hit with production delays as factories and supply chains in the region are disrupted. Apple’s popular iPhone is manufactured in China by the Foxconn Technology Group in Zhengzhou and the Pegatron Corp assembly plant near Shanghai. The latest iPhone, reportedly a more affordable model which will either be named iPhone SE2 or the iPhone 9, looks like being delayed as the scheduled February production may be pushed back. Each of these locations are more than 500km away from the Wuhan province where…

Motorola has announced the comeback of its iconic Razr clamshell-style smartphone but this time out it has been re-imagined with a folding display. It will go on sale in Australia on February 24. Customers can now pre-order the device through Telstra, JB Hi-Fi and Motorola’s online store. It will be priced at $2,699. The US launch, set down originally for last week, had to be delayed until early February because the huge number of pre-orders exceeded Motorola’s manufacturing speed. In other words, they couldn’t make them fast enough.  But that issue has now been addressed for the US launch and…

Lend me your ears for Episode 384 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast hosted by editor Stephen Fenech so you can stay updated and educated about the latest tech news and reviews. On this week’s show, Optus to support bushfire victims with the new Green Shoots grants program, Samsung has released the Galaxy Book S – a laptop with a difference and Uniden has announced pricing for its App Cam Solo Pan and Tilt camera. In the Tech Guide reviews, we check out the SanDisk Pro Portable SSD, the devices that can help you save water and what happens to…

10 years ago today in San Francisco, Steve Jobs introduced the world to the iPad. It was a truly historic occasion in the technology world and I’m proud to say I was there to witness it. There had been an unprecedented amount of rumours and speculation ahead of the event. The whispers suggested a tablet-like device but no-one knew what it looked like and no-one knew what it was going to be called. Back then, Apple could keep their upcoming products completely under wraps and the iPad was a great example of that amazing secrecy. Today that’s not so easy…

Today we need to save and access a lot of data – and access it quickly. The new SanDisk Extreme Pro Portable SSD (solid state drive) is ideal for anyone who needs to shift massive files on the move. The SanDisk Pro Portable SSD is available in 500GB and 1TB capacities and is perfect for photographers and videographers who need to move data quickly for editing on the go. A 2TB version will also be launching later this year. The drive utilises Western Digital’s super-quick NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory express) flash memory technology that enables remarkably fast transfer speeds of up…

We create wills and take out life insurance so we can look after our loved ones after we’ve gone. But did you know you can do the same thing with your Facebook account? Most people would be unaware of Facebook’s Memorialisation settings which allows users to choose someone to look after your account when you pass away. You can choose a legacy contact who will be able to manage your account and your posts after you die. When a legacy contact is chosen they will receive a notification at that point and will be notified again after your account is…

Optus is coming to the aid of small businesses that were affected by the devastating bushfires that ravaged Australian regional areas by announcing a grants program. The Green Shoots grants program will allow Optus to support businesses impacted by the bushfires and help them get back on their feet by providing hardware, technology and services. “Many regional towns have been affected by the bushfires and it will take significant time and resources for the affected small businesses and communities to rebuild and bounce back,” says Optus CEO Allen Lew. “We are focused on rebuilding and reconnecting the engine room of…

Samsung has launched its new Galaxy Book S – a new always-connected mobile computing device with an ultra-slim design and a battery life that will last for days. The Galaxy Book has a lot in common with a smartphone – it has the same mobility and connectivity – and combines that with the power of a PC. The device has a SIM card slot and offers 4G LTE connectivity so, like your smartphone, it will always be connected and provide internet access without having to stop and look for wi-fi or use a portable hotspot. Galaxy Book S uses a…

Video doorbell manufacturer Ring will release its first indoor security camera next month – and it will also be its most affordable product as well and will be priced at $99 The Ring Indoor Cam has a compact design and can be mounted anywhere inside your home. It has 1080p full high definition video with motion zones, night vision and two audio along motion activated recording. For added privacy, users can disable motion and audio recording from the Ring app. An indicator light will also show when the camera is recording. “We’re excited to bring customers our most affordable camera…

It’s almost time to start a brand new school year and there will also be a need to stock up on the right tech for students to help them with their studies in high school and university. There is also a device for primary school students to stay in touch with their parents  but without the burden of a smartphone. Naturally a laptop is a common requirement for high school students with most schools offering a guide on the models to consider and whether they need to be Mac or PC. But one thing they all need to have is…

Uniden has announced pricing for the App Cam Solo PT – Australia’s first completely wire-free solar-powered home security camera that can be panned and tilted. Because it can be panned through 355-degrees and tilted to 140-degrees, the Uniden App Cam Solo PT can offer a much wider surveillance area that would normally require two cameras to cover. The Uniden App Cam Solo PT will be priced at $349.95 and will go on sale next week. The camera is weatherproof and can be moved remotely to pan and tilt through the Uniden app so you can keep a real-time watch on…

Tune in to Episode 383 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast hosted by editor Stephen Fenech so you stay updated and educated about the very latest consumer tech news and reviews. On this week’s show, the changing shape of computers – Lenovo reveals the first foldable PC, the new high tech smart bicycle helmet and the robot pet that is designed to bring some love to your life. In the Tech Guide reviews, we take a look at the Samsung T7 Touch SSD, the smart gym you can take anywhere and the device that can brush your teeth in just…

Australians are in the middle of water restrictions so forget washing your car or watering your garden with a hose. But there are a range of products that can help users have even greater control of their water usage and save money on their bills. Even outside of water restrictions, adopting water wise habits should be something we all do and these products can help us do that. EVE WATER GUARD – $139 The Eve Water Guard, as its name suggests, guards your water and can detect water leaks and send you an alert to a smartphone app. The device…

AI is going be playing a bigger part of our lives from now on and LG has outlined a new framework at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas for the deployment of the technology which it hopes will become a seamless transition into our lives. But LG president and chief technology officer IP Park says it has to be something that people want and that will add value to their lives. “I don’t want technology to be evolving for the sake of technology.” Dr Park told Tech Guide. “It has to provide value to customers. So if it’s something…

Samsung has released the Portable T7 Touch SSD which has the fastest read and write speeds and enhanced security to protect your data with a fingerprint reader. The sleek portable drive is small enough to fit in your pocket and is designed for both professional and casual users. The Samsung T7 Touch SSD (Solid State Drive) is all about speed with the fastest transfer speeds available on the current USB 3.2 Gen 2 standard. It has read speeds of 1,050MB/s and a write speed of 1,000MB/s – that’s actually twice as fast as the previous model – the T5 and…

Ever made an excuse that you can’t get to the gym? Well what about if the gym could be wherever you are? With Max Pro that’s exactly what you get – a smart gym that can go anywhere. The Max Pro is smart full body replacement for all the machines in the gym which can be used at home, at your office and in private. https://youtu.be/VlY7wHkCOl8 At its heart is a sturdy base that can provide adjustable resistance for all upper body and lower body workouts. The base allows handles and bars to be attached with cables so you are…

Cyclists can stay safe and also stay connected with the new Safe-Tec helmet that we saw at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The bicycle helmet already has technology built-in with the LED turn indicators and brake lights so others on the road can see exactly where you’re going. https://youtu.be/ia-N6X45qtA But the new Safe-Tec Tyr Plus helmet includes Alexa so riders can operate the helmet and handle their calls with their voice while they’re riding. There is a remote control for the indicators on the helmet but you can also just say “Alexa, turn left” and “Alexa, turn right”.…

Two Blokes Talking Tech – Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long – are back from Las Vegas to bring you Episode 420 of the popular podcast. On this week’s show, the blokes talk about the tech you need for back to school, Belkin unveils its new range of GaN chargers, the device that can turn Apple CarPlay wireless, Arlo launches its new wire-free floodlight camera, the new Vyb app that rates the hottest places and Hisense will include free Tumi VOD service on its new 2020 TVs. You can listen to the show right here on the…