Author: Stephen Fenech

Wrap your ears around Episode 353 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, would you ride in a flying taxi – Uber certainly hopes you will, Panasonic unveils its 2019 OLED and LED LCD TV range and revealed a transparent OLED prototype and Hisense launches a new AR app to virtually try their products before you buy. In the Tech Guide reviews, we check out the HTC 5G Hub, we take a listen to the Jabra Elite…

The hardest working items in our tech lives are our charging cables and it’s important they are tough enough to handle our everyday needs like the new Belkin DuraTek Plus range. The DuraTek Plus cables are Belkin’s strongest cable yet and is reinforced with aramid, a super strong material usually used to reinforce protective clothing and strengthen products like tennis racquets and surfboards. Aramid is ideal for cables because it can strengthen and flex without stretching and protect the wires inside. On the outside of the cable is a hard wearing double braided nylon which can also resist wear and…

If you’re in the market for a tech bargain then you better take a look at the mid-year sale that’s just kicked off on Amazon with some products discounted by as much as 50 per cent. The sale covers all of Amazon’s 29 product categories including clothing, books, video games, health and beauty and toys. But it was the tech, electronics and smart product discounts that caught our eye. Big brands like Bose, Sonos, Arlo, TP-Link and Philips are all on board with the sale that continues until midnight on June 30. “With tens of thousands of products available at…

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch Active is another exciting addition the Galaxy ecosystem that is both a smartwatch and a wearable fitness device at the same time. The Samsung watches of the past have been larger and more complicated but the new Galaxy Watch Active has a smaller and more subtle design to attract a lot of new customers including women. The Samsung Galaxy Watch has an attractive design but is a little larger and chunkier for a female’s wrist. Even some men would say it’s just too big. And that’s where the Galaxy Watch Active comes into play. It has a…

Panasonic has unveiled its 2019 the line-up of OLED and LED LCD TVs designed to give customers an incredible cinematic experience at home as Hollywood meant it to be. Also revealed was a prototype TV – a transparent OLED TV which, when not in use revealed two shelves that were on the back of the TV. This is Panasonic’s way of making the TV in the room fade into the back ground when not in use. The new 2019 range includes the GZ2000 OLED Series – a new custom Professional Edition 4K OLED that has been optimised by leading…

Belkin has just added to its range of handy portable power options with the release of the new Boost Up Power Bank 2K which has been especially designed for the Apple Watch. The device is small enough to fit in your pocket and has a special magnetic charging base built-in so you can recharge your Apple Watch anywhere. It is just 7.9cm long and 4.2cm wide and weighs just 70g. With dimensions like that it is designed to go anywhere so it’s perfect for travellers and anyone who is always on the go. A high percentage of Apple Watch customers…

5G is here through Telstra and not all of the new products are smartphones. The HTC 5G Hub can help customers take advantage of the faster 5G speeds to connect to the internet at home and on the move. If you’re lucky enough to be within the Telstra 5G footprint, you’ll enjoy speeds that are much faster than the NBN. 5G coverage is still pretty thin at the moment but the good news is that the HTC 5G Hub can still tap into Telstra’s fast 4G network and still offer remarkable speeds. Of course, you can take this device anywhere…

Jaycar Electronics has opened its new concept store in Sydney and kicked off its Tech Fest which will run all weekend where customers can enjoy free workshops and take advantage of special daily offers. The new 420-square metre concept store, located in the Central Park Mall in Broadway, has more than 7,000 active product lines including smart products and all the bits and pieces you need to complete your own projects. Tech Fest runs until June 16 and will give customers the opportunity to take a look at the community areas and Maker Space where ideas and projects can come…

In audio circles, Jabra is already a known and trusted brand on the strength of its earphones but now it is venturing into the noise-cancelling market with the Elite 85h active noise cancelling headphones. Jabra has brought its audio expertise across to the popular noise-cancelling category that’s been dominated by Sony and Bose – and the good news is Jabra certainly hold its own with the Elite 85h. The new Jabra headphones have plenty of features along with easy-to-manage controls that make listening to your music a pleasure. On the design front, the Jabra Elite 85h headphones have a woven…

Netgear has released an internet security solution for its popular Orbi Wi-Fi mesh systems that can protect all of your connected devices on your home network. Netgear Armor Cyber Threat Protection is powered by Bitdefender and can shield every product connected to an Orbi system from viruses and malware and the threat of identity theft. It is customary for users to install antivirus software on their computers or mobile devices but our connectivity goes beyond that especially with our move to smart products like security cameras, smart baby monitors and lighting systems. The Netgear Armor offers network wide security which…

Embattled tech company Huawei, which is facing a US black ban that will challenge its world smartphone market share, has signed a new two-year contract to continue as major sponsor for NRL team the Canberra Raiders. The deal will run till the end of the 2021 season and take the commercial partnership to 10 seasons long – one of the longest in professional Australian sports. The deal will also include Huawei taking over the naming rights of the Canberra District Rugby League (CDRL) Centre in Braddon which has been earmarked as the future headquarters of the Canberra Raiders. Huawei is…

Facebook has partnered with Australia’s biggest sporting codes – the NRL and AFL – to showcase match highlights on the popular social networking platform. Facebook is offering a lot more video content and has even created the Facebook Watch page where you can find videos from your favourite Facebook pages as well as recommended content. The new partnership with the NRL and AFL means users can catch up on highlight packages, live original programs and classic matches along with weekly wrap-up shows for both the men’s and women’s games. Sport has always been a popular topic in Watch and made…

Hisense Australia has launched a new augmented reality app that will allow customers to see how its TV, refrigerators and washing machines would look in their home before they’ve even stepped out the door. The Hisense Home AR app is available for iPhone, iPad and Android devices and was developed in partnership with the Hisense R&D team and an Australian app developer. The interactive app gives customers a new way to browse the Hisense 2019 range of products which include televisions, washing machines and refrigerators and virtually place them in their home. The Apple take into account the customer’s space…

Ride sharing giant Uber will take to the skies next year with the introduction of Uber Air and Melbourne has been named as one of three locations around the world to trial the aerial shuttle service. Uber Air will also conduct trials in Dallas and Los Angeles from next year with a view to full commercial operation by 2023. The service, announced at the Uber Elevate summit in Washington DC, would operate between airports and central business districts in an electric aircraft that’s capable of vertical take-off and landing. The ride sharing company actually outlined these plans and this aircraft…

Tech Guide Episode 352,  with editor Stephen Fenech, wraps up all the announcements from Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in San Jose. On this week’s show, we take a look at the updates coming for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and also talk about the new high-end Mac Pro. Also on the show LG has launched the V50 5G smartphone, Samsung has released a 98-inch 8K TV with an eye-watering price and we tour the high-tech Bankwest Stadium and take a look at the app for fans. In the Tech Guide Help Desk, we talk about how you will back up…

It’s tax time once again but this year you will be able to get some help from an unlikely source – the Sydney flagship Microsoft Store. The Microsoft Store has partnered with H&R Block to offer expert guidance on how to maximise your technology tax rebates. The in-store Tax Time Clinic will run throughout June and customers can book a free 30-minute appointment with a H&R Block advisor so they can learn more about what they can claim as a deduction. These one on one sessions will allow customers to ask the advisers on how they can save on purchases…

If you take a look at your typical day, you will realise we spend a lot of time sitting down. At work, in the car, on the bus, on the train, at home in front of the TV. But you can make a change with Varidesk. Varidesk makes a number of products that turn any desk into a standing desk. And Tech Guide took it for a test drive. Before we talk about the Varidesk products, you should provide some information about how sedentary our lives can actually be. Medical professionals agree spending extended periods sitting down is not good…

Vodafone has announced a new Trade Up and Save program which will give customers the option of trading up to the latest smartphone and having the credit they receive applied to their account. It all starts with an exclusive deal for Apple fans with an opportunity to trade in their eligible iPhone and upgrade to the latest iPhone models. The new program provides an affordable way to upgrade to the latest smartphone without having to go to the trouble of selling the device or letting it gather dust in a drawer. To take up the Trade Up and Save offer,…

If you’re after the best and biggest TV ever created and have plenty of money in the bank then the breathtaking Samsung 98-inch 8K QLED TV should be on your shopping list. Samsung has announced the local availability of the 98-inch 8K QLED TV – the largest TV available in Australia. Samsung was the first brand to release its 8K TVs in Australia in 65-inch 75-inch and 82-inch models. READ TECH GUIDE’S REVIEW OF THE SAMSUNG 75-INCH 8K QLED TV And now along comes the 98-inch TV. And it’s not cheap – you’ll get $1 change from $100,000. That’s right…

This might not come as a surprise to many but Australians are spending too much time on their devices but the answer isn’t necessarily a total digital detox but simply having a home phone. According to the research from YouGov commissioned by VTech Telecommunications Australia, one in three Australians said they spend too much time online. And among millennials that figure is 47 per cent, 37 per cent for Gen X and 22 per set for baby boomers. So what’s the answer? One in four Australians believe one of the best things about having a home landline is that it…