Author: Stephen Fenech

Augmented Reality has gone to the next level with ARKit 3 which was unveiled at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference and Tech Guide got a chance to experience it for ourselves. The two main new features are motion capture where developers can easily integrate human movement into their app simply by filming someone making those movements. The other new feature is People Occlusion where AR content will show up in front of or behind people simultaneously to enable a more immersive AR experience. In the game that we played, Swift Strike, we were able to not only see a large bowling…

Two Blokes Talking Tech Episode 391 with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long is coming to you live from Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in San Jose. Stephen and Trevor take you through all the big announcements including iOS 13, macOS Catalina, iPadOS, watchOS 6 and the new Mac Pro super computer. You can listen to the show right here on the Tech Guide site using the audio player below. Click on the Two Blokes Talking Tech link at the top of the page and you’ll be able to find earlier episodes of Two Blokes Talking Tech to…

There were a lot of announcements and updates coming out of the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in San Jose and we’ve gone through them all and come up with our top 10. The two and half hour keynote revealed updates to iOS 13, iPadOS, macOS Catalina, watchOS 6 and we got our first glimpse of the Apple supercomputer – the Mac Pro. Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech takes you through the top 10 announcements from WWDC 2019. Watch the video below to see what made our list. https://youtu.be/4uK8qnfp8Qg * Stephen Fenech travelled to San Jose as a guest of Apple.

If you’re looking to invest in a dash cam then take a look at the new Uniden iGO Cam 85R which offers 4K resolution as well as a full high definition rear view camera so drivers can capture 360 degrees around their vehicle. The iGo Cam 85R has a supercapacitor under the hood which offers a longer battery life in a wider range of operating temperatures which makes it suitable for Australian conditions. The device has built-in wi-fi so it’s easy to instantly upload footage straight to your smart phone via the Uniden iGo 85R app. In the event of…

Do yourself a favour and listen to Episode 351 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast, hosted by Stephen Fenech, to stay updated and educated about the latest consumer tech news and reviews. On this week’s show, Oppo launches Reno 5G smartphone on the Telstra network, Tesla opens up orders for the Model 3 in Australia and Jaycar Electronics launches a new concept store. In the Tech Guide reviews, we check out the Bose Frames – the sunglasses that have built-in earphones, the devices that can make your Google smart speakers wireless and Apple has launched its most powerful iPod Touch.…

LG has launched its first 5G smartphone in the Australian market with the release of the V50 ThinQ  which has a unique dual screen design that offers an all-new mobile experience. Launched exclusively on the Telstra network, the LG V50 ThinQ 5G provides next level immersion and on the go convenience with a 6.4-inch QHD+ OLED screen and a secondary 6.2-inch display. The LG V50 ThinQ 5G can be used on its own as a single screen device but, when clicked into included accessory, users can double their screen space and enjoy more room for viewing content,  multitasking and gaming.…

Apple has created its most powerful Mac ever to give creative professionals the ability to push the performance envelope but it’s large handle and vented design is already being compared online to a cheese grater. The new Mac Pro provides the ultimate CPU performance to handle sophisticated production rendering and high-end film editing. In a demonstration of its power, Apple was able to play three simultaneous 8K video streams on the Mac Pro as well as run 1000 audio tracks simultaneously within a single application –  usually a task that requires at least two high end PCs to achieve. Under…

Apple has unveiled significant updates to watchOS to make the Apple Watch an even more independent product to access even more apps and content without your iPhone. Also revealed was the tvOS upgrade which will now include multi-user support to offer personalised recommendations for the whole family. In watchOS 6, Apple Watch will receive its very own app store so users can search for and install apps directly to the device instead of installing them through the iPhone. A new streaming API will also be introduced to allow users to stream audio content like music and pod casts directly to…

Apple has unveiled iOS 13 for iPhone with an all-new Dark Mode, even stronger privacy and security and an upgraded Maps app which provides an immersive new experience. The update will also include new camera modes and an even easier way to navigate your photo gallery. iOS 13 will also have 30 per cent faster Face ID unlock, 60 per cent smaller app updates and apps will launch two times faster. DARK MODE The most obvious new feature though is Dark Mode, and all-new appearance for iPhone to make it even easier on your eyes when viewing in the dark…

The iPad now has its very own operating system. The iPadOS was announced by Apple today at the Worldwide Developers Conference in San Jose and will give developers the chance to create apps to suit the device’s larger display and multitasking capabilities. Previously iOS was shared between the iPhone and the iPad but this year, for the first time, they have been separated into two systems. In the case of the iPad, it is becoming more like a laptop than a phone so this change to iPadOS will make it even easier for developers to take advantage of the device’s…

ITunes is dead. Long live Apple Music, Apple TV and Apple Podcasts. This was the news from the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in San Jose today when Apple announced its new macOS Catalina – the new software for its Mac line-up. Gone was iTunes – the popular app we grew to love and in its place were three new apps – Apple Music, Apple TV and Apple Podcasts – which give users a clearer and easier way of finding their content and discovering new content. Over the years iTunes became the application where Apple loaded new features and content types.…

Is the end for iTunes after 18 years? There are strong signs that iTunes – introduced months before the iPod was launched in 2001 – will be replaced with three different apps for music, TV and podcasts. iTunes was introduced in January 2001 and ushered in a whole new way of accessing digital music and totally transforming the music industry. iTunes grew to include movies and TV shows along with podcasts – a format born after the release of Apple’s iPod in October 2001. Apple has been migrating social media content away from iTunes accounts to its Apple TV pages…

Bankwest Stadium – the brand new state-of-the-art arena in western Sydney – has launched its official app and rewards programs to enhance the event experience for customers. Tech Guide toured the stadium before the Round 12 Parramatta v South Sydney match and experienced the app’s real time features as they went online for the first time. Included with the Bankwest Stadium app is a rewards program called Score which is designed to incentivise fans to keep coming to the ground to experience matches live. The free app is well designed and provides information about match day, the stadium itself as…

Tesla has officially opened orders for its upcoming Model 3 in Australia with deliveries of the smaller and more affordable electric vehicle expected from August. The new Model 3 configurator is open to existing reservation holders and the general public. Pricing will start at $66,000 excluding on road costs and delivery fees. Priorities will be given to existing reservation holders and will also be determined by delivery location and configuration options. Customers have the choice between the Standard and Performance models of the car. The Standard model will have a range of 460km with an acceleration from 0 to 100km/h…

Google smart speakers are excellent but the only downside is they can only be placed near power points but two new products from Ninety7 – the Loft and Jot – can free those devices so you can use them anywhere. Loft and Jot a portable battery bases for Google Home and Google Home Mini so you can plug and move the product anywhere you want at home or in your office free of any cables. Each base has a rechargeable battery that can give your Google Assistant up to eight hours of cordless power which means you can move from…

Now you can step into a galaxy far, far away with the opening of Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge in Disneyland – a 56,000 square metre development that’s been five years in the making at a cost of more than $1.4 billion. Visitors are transported to a long forgotten planet called Baatu and the Black Spire Outpost. This location has not been seen in any of the Star Wars films but the storyline here reveals it as a place where scoundrels and Run are known to gather. There have also been sightings of Resistance fighters which has attracted the attention of…

Leading technology retailer Jaycar Electronics will open its first concept store in Sydney next week and launch a new retail experience which encourages customers to imagine what’s possible with technology. “Think. Possible” will be the new catchcry for the store which aims to do for technology what Bunnings did for hardware and present an opportunity to expand customer horizons with what’s possible in the connected home. The new store will be located at Central Park Mall, across from the University of Technology in Sydney and will span more than 420 square metres. Customers will find the usual fare at Jaycar…

Oppo has launched its first ever 5G smart phone – the Reno 5G – which includes a pop-up Pivot Camera and 10x hybrid zoom along with an immersive 6.6-inch OLED display. And it almost cracked the 2Gbps speed when the company performed a speed test at the Telstra headquarters in the Sydney CBD. The Reno series will be available in 4G and 5G variants and combines sleek design and impressive features. Oppo Australia managing director Michael Tran did a live speed test at the product’s launch using the Speedtest app and reached 1.942Gbps. Apart from the faster 5G connectivity, the…

Take a listen to Two Blokes Talking Tech Episode 390 with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long who take you through the week’s biggest news and product announcements. On this week’s show, the rubber hits the road for Telstra’s 5G network with the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G, the HTC 5G Hub and the Oppo Reno 5G and we check out the Bose Frames that might look like sunglasses but are actually headphones as well. Also on the program, the Lenovo Smart Clock, Apple updates the iPod Touch, Intel’s new Project Athena and how your…

Amazon has revealed its latest smart device to join the Alexa family – the Echo Show 5 – which includes a 5.5 inch display, HD camera with built-in shutter and speakers. Echo Show 5 has a compact design but is still big enough to use in any room of the house to enjoy both video and audio content. The product offers a rich sound which makes it great for watching music videos or listening to music through Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, TuneIn and more. The display also makes it possible to catch up on your favourite programs from Prime…