Author: Stephen Fenech

Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD) services have reached new heights in Australia with more than 12.3 million subscriptions according to new research from technology analyst firm Telsyte. Today more than half of Australian households (55 per cent) subscribe to at least one SVOD service. The amount of SVOD subscribers has increased by 29 per cent, up from 9.5 million in June 2018. Total SVOD subscribers could reach more than 21 million by the end of June 2023, according to Telsyte. Demand will be driven by key content rights during the next 12 to 24 months as more studios and content…

With headphone jacks disappearing from smartphones, customers are now looking for wireless options like the Skullcandy Indy earphones which offer impressive sound at affordable price. We’ve all cut the cord when it comes to headphones and earphones to give us more freedom and less tangles when we are listening to our content on the go. The Skullcandy Indy earphones wirelessly connect to your mobile device via Bluetooth and come in a handy charging case. The phones themselves look a lot like the Apple AirPods except they are slightly shorter and black. Each bud has a small silicon tip that fits…

It’s time to tune in to Episode 362 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, the scams that have cost Australians more than half a billion dollars and how you can avoid becoming a victim, ALDIMobile unveils new mobile plans and our impressions on Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge in Disneyland. In the Tech Guide reviews, we take a look at the Winbot X robot window cleaner, Arlo’s wire-free cameras are now Apple HomeKit compatible and DJI releases…

Disney+ – the Walt Disney Company’s all-new streaming service – will officially launch in Australia on November 19 with a host of new content and favourites from Disney, Marvel and Star Wars. The company launched its Australian website which, at the moment, features nothing more than a countdown clock to the November 19 date and logos from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic. The streaming service will be priced at $8.99 a month which puts it in line with existing services like Netflix and Stan. It will be viewable through an app on mobile devices as well as…

Pre-order sales of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 smartphone have smashed previous records for the product – and there has been a definite move towards the 5G variant of the Note10+. Garry McGregor, Vice-President, Mobile Division, Samsung Electronics Australia, says there has been a double-digit increase in pre-orders for the flagship Note 10 device. And 5G is also very popular Australia was only the third market in the world where Samsung launched a 5G device after South Korea and the US with the Galaxy S10 5G in June. Samsung recognises the fact that Australia is a nation of early adopters…

Dyson has unveiled a new personal fan that can not only keep you cool but also purify the air around you at the same time. The Dyson Pure Cool Me takes the company’s well-known air multiplier technology and shrinks it down to this smaller and more personal size. Dyson already has several purifier products that are designed for an entire room or large sections of your home. The Dyson Pure Cool Me uses new Core Flow technology in this latest purifier which can sit on a bedside table, on the kitchen counter or on a desktop to cool anyone close…

DJI, the company the brings you some of  best drones in the world and also make some of the best camera gimbals and has just released the Osmo Mobile 3 – a portable and foldable mobile phone stabiliser. DJI has a solid legacy in creating gimbals which are used on the ground and in the air and have taken that technology and included it in the travel friendly Osmo Mobile 3. It is a lightweight companion which can go with you anywhere to capture ultra-steady video footage through your smartphone. Because it can fold down to quite a small size,…

There are already robots that can clean your floors and vacuum your carpets but the Winbot X from Ecovacs can clean your windows inside and out. The unit itself is a lot smaller than a robot vacuum. Small enough, in fact, to create suction to stay on the window and to move freely in all directions to clean the pane. The top of the unit has a handle so it can easily be placed on a window and just as easily removed when the cleaning process is completed. In each corner are bumpers which gently tell the Winbot X it…

We’re celebrating a milestone with the Two Blokes Talking Tech podcast – Episode 400 – with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long. It’s been eight and half years since we recorded the first episode of the podcast and have built a loyal band of listeners who tune in each week to hear our take on the latest tech news and products. On this week’s 400th episode – we go back to where it all began and reminisce about the early days and how far we’ve come with technology. Also on the show, we talk about the rising…

The Arlo Pro and Arlo 2 cameras, the most popular wire-free security cameras on the market, are now compatible with Apple HomeKit after huge customer demand. The cameras offer live video streams to view on the Arlo app. But now with Apple HomeKit compatibility, users can view the live stream within the Apple Home app on iPhone, iPad and Mac. HomeKit can also send you a mobile notification on your iOS device. Users will be able to have some form of control or monitoring capability through the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and HomePod. “Given the ever-evolving smart home ecosystem…

Scammers tricked Australians out of almost half a billion dollars in 2018 after more than 378,000 scams were reported – an increase of 44 per cent over the losses reported in 2017. These alarming figures were revealed during Scam Awareness Week in the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) 10th annual Targeting Scams report. And the concern is the scammers are becoming even more sophisticated and posing as trusted institutions like banks, the tax office and popular retailers in phishing scams Some scammers are so bold that they pose as friends, work colleagues and even family members using what’s called…

Jabra has just released its latest sports earphones – the Elite Active 45e – that are durable enough to keep up with the most demanding workouts and deliver a big sound at the same time. The Jabra Elite Active 45e earphones are waterproof, sweatproof and dustproof with an IP67 rating and feature an improved earhook design for a secure and comfortable fit. The earphones provide a wireless connection to your mobile device so you can hear your music and also make and receive your calls. They are also ideal for outdoor fitness thanks to their open ear design that lets…

ALDIMobile today launched the new mobile and data plans with generous allowances to meet the needs of today’s customers.  They all feature unlimited standard calls and texts and increased monthly data. From today, ALDIMobile  will be offering five new mobile plans starting as low as $15 a month. Some plans even include unlimited international calls and text messages to want to 15 selected countries at up to 400 minutes and 50 SMS messages to 35 selected countries. Starting at $15, the ALDIMobile Small plan includes 3GB of data. Moving up to the  $25 Large plan, customers receive 18GB data. For…

When Disneyland opened Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge less than three months ago there was a lot of fanfare – a lot of pressure for the $1.4 billion investment to be a success. We decided to check it out for ourselves. Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge is located in the north-eastern corner of Disneyland and takes up 56,000 square metres of space and took five years to bring to life. After Disney purchased Lucasfilm and set an ambitious schedule of new films, incorporating Star Wars into an even larger presence at Disneyland was just a matter of time. So has Disney’s gamble…

Episode 361 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast, hosted by editor Stephen Fenech, is coming you from the US to keep you updated and educated about the latest tech news and reviews. On this week’s show, we talk about the new Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+ and also speak with Garry McGregor, vice president of the Samsung Australia mobile division, about who the device will appeal to and why there are two devices this year. Samsung also announced a new laptop – the Galaxy Book S and the Galaxy Watch Active 2 and President Donald Trump angers gamers…

Kogan has updated its 4K TV range with QLED technology to offer even better contrast through HDR (high dynamic range) and yet still offer it at an affordable price point. Quantum Dot – the same technology that is seen in the Samsung, LG and Hisense ranges of TVs –   uses light emitting crystal particles to produce more light to produce an ultra-realistic colour for a higher quality viewing experience. The Kogan 4K QLED to will be available in one size –  55-inch –  and has a screen resolution of 3840 x 2160 at 60Hz. The TV has near invisible bezels…

The Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ has been officially recognised by DxOMark as having the world’s best front and rear cameras on a smartphone just days after the device’s launch. The main camera and selfie camera on board the Note 10+ scored ratings of 113 and 99 respectively making it the top ranked device for smartphone image quality in the DxoMark database. These scores were awarded when the device was tested across the board shooting photos, selfies and videos in various scenarios. Its  overall score of 113 for the main camera places it just ahead of the Huawei P30 Pro (112)…

Logitech has released the K580 multi-device wireless keyboard that can connect to your computer but also work seamlessly with your smartphone or tablet so you can stay productive no matter what device you’re using. The Logitech K580 has a full-size keyboard which includes a number pad and has a slim design that will look good on your desktop. Users can connect to the keyboard through Bluetooth directly to their computer or mobile device. If your computer doesn’t have Bluetooth on board, you can use the included Logitech receiver. Once all your devices are paired to the keyboard, it is easy…

eBay Plus members who are interested in pre-ordering the new Samsung Galaxy Note 10 can save up to $350 on the new flagship smartphone if they purchase the device from an eBay store. This exclusive offer for eBay Plus members will be available every two hours from 10am on August 12 as stock of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 is assigned. There are now two new devices in the Samsung Note family –  the Galaxy Note 10 which has a 6.3 inch display and the Note 10+ which has a 6.8-inch display. TECH GUIDE TAKES A HANDS-ON LOOK AT THE…

Huawei has unveiled a new operating system called HarmonyOS that could be deployed as an alternative to Android if the company is denied access to Google’s software ecosystem following a trade black ban by the US. Announced at the Huawei Developer Conference, HarmonyOS will be first used to power smart devices like smart watch, smart screens, smart speakers and in-vehicle systems. It is a microkernel-based distributed operating system designed to give a consistent experience across all devices and scenarios. “We’re entering a day and age where people expect a holistic intelligent experience across all devices and scenarios,” says Richard Yu…