Author: Stephen Fenech

Two Blokes Talking Tech Episode 393 with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long takes a look at the week’s biggest tech stories and products. On this week’s show, Telstra announces its new plans with no lock-in contracts, Apple launches its Beta Software Program, more free to air HD channels and Alcatel unveils its latest range of feature-rich yet affordable smartphones. Also on the program, the F1 2019 game, Huawei labels the NBN a $51bn failure and our minute reviews take a look at the Powerbeats Pro wire-free earphones and the Evocacs Robotics DEEBOT 710. You can listen…

If you think today’s modern smartphones are too big, then take a look at the new Palm device heading to Australia – it’s a shrunken down smartphone that’s small enough to fit in your pocket or your purse. It is one of a range of products heading our way from TCL, the Alcatel parent company, which will also include a new kids smartwatch and a tablet/speaker system. The Palm has a 3.3-inch display and is running a full version of Android so you can still run all your favourite apps and browse the web. It’s designed to be your second…

Alcatel has unveiled its latest range of value-driven smartphones which include numerous rich features and impressive designs but at truly affordable prices. The new line-up includes the Alcatel 1s, Alcatel 1x and the Alcatel 3 and continue to provide serious bang for your buck in the competitive smartphone market. Alcatel’s new devices will be available through Australia’s three major carriers along with retailers JB Hi-Fi, Officeworks and Australia Post and for the first time will be sold through Amazon Australia. ALCATEL 1X (2019) – $179 The Alcatel 1x has a 5.5 inch FullView HD+ 18:9 display with a screen to…

Huawei’s chief technology officer David Soldani has labelled the $51bn NBN a failure but sees the emerging 5G networks as the solution for customers stuck with low-speed broadband. Speaking at the 5G Business Summit in Sydney, Soldani said the Federal government must realise the NBN can’t deliver what it promised – high-speed broadband to all Australians. “As the completion of the National Broadband Network comes into view it’s time to face a very simple fact: The NBN project has failed and Australians needs to stop expecting NBN Co to deliver high-speed broadband to all Australians – it is just not…

The Samsung Galaxy S10 5G is easily the best device the world’s number one smartphone manufacturer has ever made. It brings together an irresistible set of features and also happens to be a 5G device as well. The Galaxy S10 5G was the first 5G device to come to market in Australia and is available now through the Telstra network. It builds on the impressive S10 range that was introduced earlier in the year – standout devices in their own right – but then takes the feature set even further and improves the screen, the cameras and throws in 5G…

It’s time to get updated and educated about the latest consumer tech news and reviews with Episode 354 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast hosted by editor Stephen Fenech. On this week’s show, new and faster Wi-Fi 6 is here and Netgear has released its new routers, Apple issues a safety recall on its MacBook Pro laptops and drivers licences are going digital. In the Tech Guide reviews, we take a listen to the Powerbeats Pro earphones, we roadtest the Ecovacs Robotics DEEBOT 710 and we go through the pros and cons of driving an electric car after a year…

Telstra will be imposing a monthly $15 5G tax for customers who want to access the company’s faster mobile network from 2020. The telco has just announced a complete revamp of its post-paid mobile plans with no lock in contracts and a view to offering customers more flexibility and the ability to customise plans to suit their needs. But while giving with one hand, Telstra will also be taking with another by charging a monthly $15 charge for customers who want to use the faster network from July 1, 2020 on plans below $80 a month. Until then customers who…

Apple has released its first Public Beta for its new operating systems – iOS 13, iPadOS and macOS Catalina which were announced at the recent Worldwide Developers Conference – so customers can install them on their Apple devices right now. Users need to enrol their devices at the Apple Beta Software Program page to get their hands on the pre-release software that won’t officially be available until September. Apple initially promised the Beta Software Program would start in July but it has been brought forward a few weeks to allow customers to install it on their devices from today. The…

Beats by Dr Dre has cut the cord with the new Powerbeats Pro and offer a wire-free way for users to enjoy their music and audio content in high quality anywhere. The product brings together the strengths of Beats audio know-how and design as well as Apple engineering (Apple owns Beats remember?) and the result is an impressive pair of earphones that provide a comfortable and high-quality experience. On the design side – the Powerbeats Pro have the traditional earhook that’s been redesigned and that’s also adjustable for a nice fit. The actual earbud itself – the part that actually…

It’s been more than a year since we bought our Tesla Model S 75D and we certainly don’t regret the decision. We’ll take you through the pros and cons of owning and driving an electric car. We can’t ever imagine ever driving a fuel car ever again. There was a bit of a learning curve when we first purchased our Tesla but it didn’t take long to adapt to the new and exciting world of electric vehicles. And the wallet’s a lot healthier as well thanks to not having to pay for fuel or servicing. We clocked up just under…

Wrap your ears around Episode 392 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, the move to digital drivers licences – what is involved, Panasonic’s new range of OLED TVs and the transparent prototype and what we can expect from Uber Air. The blokes also talk about the new independent Australian solar and battery scheme, Netflix viewers numbers and the success of the Adam Sandler/Jennifer Aniston film Murder Mystery on the platform and Google Maps AR. In the…

Kogan has just kicked its EOFY sales which include significant savings on iPhones, laptops, 4K TVs and smart home devices with discounts as high as 63 per cent. Brands like KitchenAid, Apple, HP, Samsonite, Google, Swann and Kogan’s own vast range of products are also on sale. The full sale can be seen here. Here’s a sample of the discounts on offer: – KitchenAid Bowl Lift Stand Mixer – Empire Red (KPM5) (also available in White) — promotion price $429, saving 55% or $520 (original price $949). – Apple iPhone XR (64GB, Black) – promotion price $1,129, saving 8% or…

eBay Australia has kicked off its 48-hour shopping event Plus Weekend which is available exclusively to eBay Plus members and offer some impressive savings on some of the biggest tech brands. Customers can find a bargain from companies like Samsung, Dyson and Sony with prices discounted by up to 33 per cent. But you have to get in early, these offers will only be available while stocks last. The Plus Weekend sale starts at 10am on Saturday, June 22 and will run until Monday, June 24. An eBay Plus membership costs $49 per year but you can try it out…

The Ecovacs Robotics DEEBOT 710 proves that you don’t need to spend big money for a smart robot vacuum that offers an impressive cleaning solution for your home. The DEEBOT 710 utilises the company’s latest Smart Navi 2.0 Mapping technology so it can create a virtual map of your home to plan its cleaning path. But probably one of the best features is the price. At just $499, the DEEBOT 710 offers tremendous bang for your buck. The circular robot uses a vision camera located on top of the unit to find its way around your home and create a…

Apple has announced a voluntary recall of its older 15-inch MacBook Pro laptops sold between September 2015 and February 2017 because the battery may overheat and pose a safety risk. Customers affected by this recall are being urged by Apple in the interests of safety to stop using the device immediately. Users can identify the units in question by entering their serial number at the Apple support page. Those affected will be able to have their battery replaced free of charge. To find the serial number, customers need to click on the Apple menu in the top left-hand corner and…

Netgear has released its latest range of next-generation Wi-Fi 6 routers which offer speeds four times faster than previous models and the capacity to support up to 12 uninterrupted streams at once. There are three Wi-Fi 6 routers in the Netgear line-up – the Nighthawk AX4 4-Stream AX3000 Wi-Fi 6 Router ($399.99), the Nighthawk AX8 8-Stream AX6000 Wi-Fi 6 Router ($599.99) and the Nighthawk AX12 12-stream AX6000 Wi-Fi 6 Router ($799.99) These are designed for the modern household which has an increasing number of connected devices and even greater demand on bandwidth when streaming video and audio and playing online games. On top of that,…

The largest independent solar and battery scheme in Australia has just been launched to give more than 220,000 customers significant savings on a home solar system. The Smart Home Battery Scheme is being led by Natural Solar, Australia’s largest solar and battery installer, along with property developer Mulpha and Australian peer-to-peer lender RateSetter. Homeowners who live in Norwest and some parts of the Hills District in Sydney’s north west will be able to save up to $4,000 on the purchase and installation of home solar systems and battery storage solutions. This will bring the price of a 5kW solar and…

Tesla has announced new features for its electric vehicles – and they don’t have anything to do with driving. It’s Tesla Arcade and Toybox which will offer a catalogue of new games and Easter Eggs. Tesla Arcade will now be home to the growing number of games which are available to play on the large screen in the vehicles. Elon Musk announced Tesla Arcade at E3 in Los Angeles last week. “The general principle is: what can we do to make the car the most fun possible,” he said. Now when Tesla drivers are waiting for their vehicles to be…

Nobody likes a fake or knock-off and it appears this isn’t just an issue in the tech world – it is also rampant in the wine sector but an Australian-first technology from YPB Group has been introduced to combat this problem. Counterfeit product costs billions of dollars a year. Figures published recently shows that 20 per cent of all wine currently in circulation around the world is fake. The Interprofessional Council of Bordeaux Wine says that 30,000 bottles of fake imported wine is sold per hour in China. Vintail, the new YPB Group’s technology, will allow the customer to use their…

NSW drivers will soon see their drivers licence move from their wallet to their smartphone with the introduction of a digital licence which was announced as part of the NSW state budget. Within the next few months, drivers will be able to opt into the digital system. Your digital drivers licence will be accessible through the ServiceNSW app on your smartphone and secured with a PIN and will also be accessible off-line. More than 14,000 drivers in Dubbo, Albury and Sydney’s eastern suburbs have already successfully trialled the system. The ServiceNSW app will not only contain the digital drivers licence…