Author: Stephen Fenech

Ecovacs Robotics has taken robotic floor cleaning to an all-new level with the release of the DEEBOT X11 Robot Vacuum at IFA 2025 in Berlin. It is the first robot vacuum to incorporate PowerBoost Technology to enable uninterrupted coverage for up to 1000 square metres per task. This technology harnesses fragmented recharging and intelligent power scheduling so the unit can restore six per cent of battery power in only three minutes during mop-cleaning pauses. This defies the previous notion that runtime equals capacity and ushers in a new era of perpetual run times. The DEEBOT X11 comes equipped with TruEdge…

Samsung’s new Galaxy Tab S11 tablet series is packed with AI features and a more powerful DeX experience while still maintaining a super thin and light design. The Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra and Galaxy Tab S11 offer an advanced tablet experience for work and play. The devices are powered by Galaxy AI and running the One UI 8 platform on top of Android. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra has a 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display and, at just 5.1mm, it is the thinnest Galaxy Tab to date and is designed to offer productivity on the go. The Samsung Galaxy…

Roborock has expanded its product line-up outside in the backyard with the announcement of three new robotic lawnmowers at IFA 2025 in Berlin. The RockMow Z1, S1 and RockNeo Q1 will make up the brands new outdoor product category which will inherit the smarts of its popular robot vacuum range and apply them to your lawn. Also introduced at IFA 2025 was the Roborock F25 Ultra Wet-Dry Handheld Vacuum and the Roborock H60 Hub Series. “Rocking Life, Inside and Out” is Roborock’s theme for IFA 2025 as it showcases its first RockMow and RockNeo series. ROCKMOW AND ROCKMOW NEO The…

Samsung has released the latest addition to the S25 family of smartphones – the S25 FE – FE being short for Flagship Experience. It is more attainable for customers and provides a taste of the larger Galaxy ecosystem. The Samsung Galaxy S25 FE includes powerful features like One UI 8 interface and Galaxy AI and AI editing tools. The device has a 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It is housed in an Armor Aluminium Frame which offers durability and a more refined finish. “Galaxy S25 FE plays an important role as a gateway into the…

Apple has released the Instagram app for iPad so you can enjoy viewing content, creating content and connecting with friends on a larger scale. Instagram for iPad will work on any iPad model that supports iPad OS 15.1 and later. Users will be able to enjoy the entertaining reels content on a bigger display. Instagram for iPad has been redesigned to offer a big screen experience so you can lean back and be entertained. And, like the iPhone app, users will be able to see stories at the top and then connect with people in your circle. There is a…

For months it was feared the new iPhone 17, which will be unveiled in a week, would see a dramatic price hike due to new tariffs but analysts believe the pricing will be remain close to iPhone 16 levels. Analysts from JP Morgan says Apple will be keeping pricing steady according to a report by 9 to 5 Mac. The report says JP Morgan predicts the pricing of the iPhone 17 will largely remain unchanged. JPMorgan projects the starting pricing will be: – iPhone 17: $US799 / $A1,399 (no increase) – iPhone 17 Air: $US899-949 / $A1,599-$A1,699 (no increase or $US50 /…

Play it smart and take a listen to Episode 660 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast hosted by editor Stephen Fenech as he keeps you updated and educated about the latest consumer tech news and reviews. On this week’s show, Jabra has changed the small meeting room experience with the Panacast 40 VBS – we talk to the Australian product manager Daniel Leary. Arlo adds new AI features to its popular security cameras and Rode releases a major software update to its Rodecaster Video. In the Tech Guide reviews, we take a look at the massive 98-inch Samsung Neo QLED…

LG has upgraded its home appliance AI capabilities with the launch of LG ThinQ AI to offer a more personalised and more proactive user experience from its range. LG ThinQ AI will be showcased at the IFA 2025 tech show in Berlin this week and integrates LG ThinQ UP and ThinQ’s Care services and improves appliance management through AI and usage data analytics. These AI-powered features will include tailored upgrades and performance optimisation based on how the customer uses the product. ThinQ UP allows compatible appliances to inherit new features via software upgrades to ensure they stay up to date…

Punch it into drive and press play on the latest episode of Two Blokes Talking Electric Cars – The EV Podcast – with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long. This week Stephen and Trevor discuss the new all-electric Mercedes G-Wagon – tricks in a tank and the boys have driven an iconic car which is cheaper than it’s petrol sibling – but still more than $300,000. And we take your calls starting with Benita who talks about her brand new KIA EV3 and the journey to go electric. We also discuss some stats from KIA EV owners…

Leading professional audio brand Jabra has taken the meeting to another level with its new PanaCast 40 VBS – the only small room Android-bar that can capture and present the entire room with a 180-degree field of view. The unit itself is about 50cm wide and has two cameras that combine to offer the 180-degree view but without the annoying fisheye effect. The product builds on the success of the PanaCast 50 VBS and inherits the same powerful performance but for more compact spaces. https://youtu.be/SQ56jUf5STs?si=BRDzBHraxNAq9V_J With more employees now coming back to the office the need for an efficient small…

We’ve always had a “go big or go home” attitude when it comes to televisions and once you go there there’s no turning back. That’s how we felt when we took a look at Samsung’s 98-inch Neo QLED QN90F 4K smart TV. We’re no strangers to big screens – in our home theatre we have 150-inch screen for our 4K projector. But for daily use the 98-inch Samsung TV is something you can easily get used to. We don’t think in the history of TV sales in Australia that many people who purchase a large screen TV have ever complained…

I see dead people!!! This week on The Best Movies You’ve Never Seen podcast we’re watching The Sixth Sense starring Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment and Toni Collette and written and directed by M Night Shyamalan. The Sixth Sense tells the story of a child psychologist Malcolm Crowe who helps a young boy named Cole Sear with his issues. Stephen saw The Sixth Sense in a packed theatre and has rewatched the movie many times while Trevor – who had only seen bits and pieces of the movie – watches it from start to finish for the first time in…

Make the right move and tune in top Episode 698 of the Two Blokes Talking Tech podcast with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long as they go through the week’s biggest tech stories and product announcements. On this week’s show, Apple’s September event is locked and loaded, so let’s run through all that we expect and why it should still get the hype you’d expect from a flagship phone launch like this. The all-new Google Pixel is out, so what’s it like and is it the sleeper phone of the year? Video Selfies required for new bank…

Keeping your place clean – particularly your floors – has become quite the battleground and Tineco is one of the front runners with its new Floor One S9 Artist Pro. It’s called Artist because Tineco says it can empower customers to perfect the art of the clean. And it also has a pretty slick design that you won’t mind being out in the open rather than hiding it in the corner of the laundry. While I am very impressed with the Tineco Floor One S9 Artist and the amazing job it does cleaning our floors, I also associate the product…

DJI has released its latest OsmoAudio product, the DJI Mic 3, a compact and light solution to ensure high quality audio performance and versatility. With the Mic 3, DJI has taken the product to another level with the capability of connecting up to four transmitters and eight receivers. It’s also the first system to feature an adaptive gain control that automatically prevents clipping or dynamically balances the volume along with three voice tone presets and two-level noise cancelling. Also included for the first time is dual-file 32-bit float internal recording with 32GB of storage. Weighing just 16g, the DJI Mic…

Leading home security brand Arlo has announced Arlo Secure 6, the latest generation of the company’s home security subscription service which includes new AI-powered features including Event Captions and Video Search. These enhancements are designed to make Arlo’s home security solutions faster and more accessible. Event Captions are available now while Video Search will be released soon. Arlo Secure 6 builds on previous features like person recognition, vehicle recognition, custom detection and advanced audio detection. Now with Event Captions and Video Search it is a major shift in how users interact with their security footage and empowers them to find…

Apple has confirmed a launch event on September 9 (3am, September 10 AEST) which will unveil the new iPhone 17 range that will include the thinnest iPhone ever – the iPhone 17 Air. The line-up will include the iPhone 17, the iPhone 17 Air, the iPhone 17 Pro and the iPhone 17 Pro Max. It is expected the newcomer to the line-up – the iPhone 17 Air – will take the place of the iPhone 17 Plus. The iPhone 17 will have a 6.3-inch display and the iPhone 17 Air will be 6.6-inch with the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone…

We spend a long time in front of our computer screens and this can cause eye strain and headaches but adding a monitor light bar can change your viewing environment for the better. Tech Guide has been using the Quntis monitor light bars and it has created a more pleasant workspace. There are multiple benefits including reducing screen glare and eye strain, illuminating your desktop and improving visibility. The big change we noticed was reduction of glare on our monitors. After the hours we spend looking at our screen it can really made a big difference. Quntis has a huge…

Lend us your ears and take a listen to Episode 659 of the top-rating Tech Guide hosted by editor Stephen Fenech as he keeps you updated and educated about the latest consumer tech news and product reviews. On this week’s show: there’s a new faster wireless charging standard and Belkin has just unveiled its new range, iiNet joins the growing list of companies to suffer a data breach and Telstra releases its Smart Modem 4. In the Tech Guide reviews – we take a look at the LG Smart Monitor Swing and we check out the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7.…

Rode has released a major firmware update for its impressive Rodecaster Video that unlocks several new features including NDI (network device interface) support to enhance multi-camera production and live streaming. The new enhancements also include PTZ (pan tilt zoom) camera control, advanced keying tools and enhanced workflow options to offer even more flexibility with multi-camera and network-based video production. When me and Trevor Long film the Two Blokes Talking Tech podcast each week, we use the Rodecaster Video to link and control the three cameras and the microphones. With NDI it allows for high-quality, low latency video-over-IP streaming so the…