Author: Stephen Fenech

If you love watching sport on TV, and let’s face it who doesn’t, then you’ll need to take a look at Kayo Sports – a new streaming service that delivers more than 50 sports live and on demand. The service is powered by Fox Sports, ESPN and beIN Sports and includes the biggest Australian sports like cricket, rugby league, AFL, rugby union, golf, NFL, basketball, tennis and motorsports. Subscribers can access more than 30,000 hours of content whether it’s live sport, documentaries and entertainment shows. The services can be streamed on iOS and Android devices, laptops and PCs and can…

The iPad Pro has undergone its biggest facelift since the original iPad was introduced in 2010. There have also been significant changes under the hood which make it the most powerful iPad Apple has ever produced. The iPad Pro has always been a class above the regular iPad with larger screens, more advanced features and speedier performance. The latest iPad Pro is gone up yet another level thanks to a stunning redesign that jettisoned the home button to make it a true edge to edge tablet that feels like you’re holding a magical piece of glass. The biggest sell for…

Drones have become extremely popular and will also be a sought after Christmas gift this year but there is a lot you need to know about the laws and safety precautions before you take off. Even if you are not a professional pilot and just bought your drone off the shelf at JB Hi-Fi, you are still covered by the same rules and regulations set down by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). Breaching these rules could result in fines of up to $9000. Here are the main rules for drone pilots: –  You can’t fly your drone higher than…

Episode 368 of the Two Blokes Talking Tech podcast with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long is coming to you live from Samsung headquarters in Seoul, South Korea. On this week’s show we talk about the new 8K TVs that will be introduced in Australia next year and discuss the fascinating insights of a neuroscientist about how our brains react to super high resolution screens. Also on the program, Netgear’s new Orbi Outdoor Satellite, the wearable designed by the CSIRO for cows, Huawei’s MateBook X Pro laptop, the Logitech Crayon for the 9.7-inch iPad and the Ember…

Telstra has achieved a major milestone in its 5G connection strategy by making Australia’s first live 5G data call using a commercial 5G chipset on Telstra’s mobile network. It all happened on the Gold Coast using a form factor device – most likely a device fashioned to look like a smart phone using the latest 5G chipset from Qualcomm. The connection used Telstra’s 3.5 GHz commercial spectrum, Ericsson’s latest 5G network software and Qualcomm’s commercial 5G chipset. “Telstra’s strategic relationship with these global industry partners allows Telstra to test, understand and demonstrate real world 5G capability so we can advance…

One big reason to consider purchasing a new 8K TV when they’re released in Australia next year – your brain will really appreciate it more than your eyes. Even when the TV screen actually goes beyond our retinal capability – our brains can still perceive even greater depth and register emotions faster according to Dr Kyoung Min Lee, MD PhD from the Cognitive Science Institute of Seoul National University. Tech Guide spoke to Dr Lee at Samsung’s headquarters in South Korea. Mr Lee’s research is of particular interest to Samsung after the company unveiled its first 8K TVs at the…

Plantronics has launched an entire new range of next generation earphones and headphones across the BackBeat FIT and BackBeat GO line-ups which are designed to keep you connected to your audio content and calls anywhere in comfort. Whether you’re listening in the gym, on public transport, on an aircraft or anywhere, Plantronics has earphones and headphones to suit. Plantronics has quite the legacy when it comes to headsets, audio and communications. The iconic message uttered by Neil Armstrong when he became the first man to walk on the moon – “this is one small step for man, one giant leap…

Australians love a hot cup of coffee or tea and now you can keep that beverage at the right temperature with Ember – the world’s first temperature-control mug. Available in Australia for the first time through Apple retail stores, Ember combines world-class design with patented technology that will transform the coffee and tea drinking experience. It is made of durable stainless steel and has a reinforced ceramic coating with a minimal, refined design. Ember comes with a matching charging coaster to keep it ready for your next cup. “Just a few degrees can make a big difference to how a…

Tune in to Episode 325 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 review. On this week’s show, how you can create your own skills for your Alexa-enabled smart speaker, Oppo launches the R17 and R17 Pro smartphones and Google rolls out the Night Sight camera update for the Pixel 3 smartphone. In the Tech Guide review, we take a look at the new Nonda smart reversing camera, Telstra’s Essential Tab 8 from Alcatel and Hisense has released its first range of OLED…

Australians are wasting even more money on excess data charges despite the fact there are plans with generous mobile data limits and even unlimited data offers. New research by Finder has found 15 per cent of Australians – that’s the equivalent of 2.8 million customers – regularly went over their mobile data limit in the last 12 months. On average an extra gigabyte of data on a plan costs an additional $10 which means a staggering $181m has been spent on excess data usage alone. But the good news is that figure is down by about 30 per cent when…

Netgear has expanded the reach of its Orbi mesh wi-fi systems outdoors with the launch of its weather resistant Orbi Outdoor Satellite so you can stay connected in the backyard or beside the pool. The Netgear RBS50Y Orbi Outdoor Satellite connects to any Orbi Tri-Band Whole Home Wi-Fi System or Orbi Tri-Band Wi-Fi System for Small Businesses to extend wireless coverage outside so users can watch uninterrupted 4K videos on their mobile devices, stream music to their backyard speakers during a BBQ and connect outdoor security cameras and smart sensor lights. This means there is no need to run additional…

Huawei has added to its successful portfolio of smartphones and introduced its first range of laptop computers into the Australian market with the MateBook X Pro which goes on sale this week. The MateBook X Pro carries over a lot of the design and technologies Huawei developed for its smartphones as well as new leading-edge features to suit the modern laptop user. The device has a 13.9-inch 3K borderless touchscreen display (3000 x 2000) and the highest screen-to-body ratio of any 13-inch laptop on the market. The screen is covered with Corning Gorilla Glass and has an anti-fingerprint coating. It…

A big part of today’s smart home is lighting and a cool new way to illuminate your home is with strip lighting. The new Yeelight Aurora is an ideal choice to really change the mood and look of your house. The Yeelight Aurora is a product that was quickly crowd funded through Indiegogo and is now available for customers to purchase. This universal light strip can display more than 16 million colours to enhance the mood of a room, highlight furniture, artwork and other architectural features of your home. It can be used under an entertainment unit, along a room’s…

Microsoft’s Office 365 is one of the most widely used software suites in the world but there are a number of hidden features and tips and tricks many users are probably not aware of. There are many functions users can take advantage of including built-in features, smart connected features and touchscreen features as well. Office 365 includes Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote which are now available on a subscription basis for home and personal use. RESUME ASSISTANT – WORD The Resume Assistant is a hidden gem within Word and is a great tool for updating your CV. What people…

Tune in to Episode 367 of the fun and informative Two Blokes Talking Tech podcast with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long as they discuss the week’s biggest tech news and products. On this week’s show, the mobile plan data wars, Hisense introduces its first OLED TV and NBN’s satellite service gets a boost. Also on the program, you can now create your own skills for Alexa, Telstra introduces the Essential Tab 8 from Alcatel and we talk foldable phones. In the minute reviews, we take a look at the Surface Studio 2 and the new Audiofly…

Kogan Mobile has just updated its plans and significantly upgraded the data inclusions at no extra cost to give customers even more mobile data to stream their favourite content and stay connected to social media. Customers will now receive even more value with the Medium, Large and Extra Large plans all receiving the automatic – and permanent – data increase. This will be valid for all 30, 90 and 365 day plans. The Medium plan’s data will almost double when it goes from 7GB to 13GB per 30 days ($29.90). For the Large option, customers will see an increase from…

A major part of the success of the Amazon Echo products are the numerous skills that are to the smart speakers what an app is to a smartphone. They offer an experience for the user as well as useful information. Now it is possible to create your own personalised skills and responses for Alexa within minutes and without the need to know anything about coding. Until now, Alexa has responded to our questions and requests for information based on skills created by companies and developers. With the introduction of Alexa Skill Blueprints you can create your own personalised skills and…

Google’s Pixel 3 smartphone camera is already pretty impressive and is just about to get even better with the launch of Night Sight – a new feature that allows users to capture incredible lowlight images without a flash or tripod. Night Sight has just begun rolling out to Pixel 3 users around the world and will be yet another tool in the already impressive device’s camera toolbox. Unlike other flagship smartphones, the Google Pixel 3 uses computational photography and machine learning rather than numerous lenses to capture impressive images. And all you need to do is press the shutter button.…

Who said you have to spend big money to buy a tablet? Certainly not Alcatel which has just released the Telstra Essential 8-inch 4G Tab – one of the first to be powered by Android Oreo Go Edition. Priced at just $129, the device has a 1280 x 800 resolution 8-inch display which is capable of displaying more than 16 million colours. The Telstra Essential 8-inch 4G Tab, created by Alcatel, is just 8.29mm thick and weighs a mere 279g. It is powered by a MediaTek MT8765 quad core 1.28Ghz processor with 16GB of onboard memory which is expandable through…

Amaysim has upped the ante in the mobile plan wars with a new $60 Unlimited plan which will include a massive 60GB of data – that’s $1 per gigabyte. Recent ABS research has shown a 49 per cent increase in smartphone data usage in the last 12 months alone so Amaysim’s new plan comes at precisely the right time. Amaysim, Australia’s fourth largest mobile services provider, will also offer unlimited calls and texts and unlimited calls to 10 countries plus an additional 300 international minutes to 22 further countries. And it’s all without having to lock yourself into a contract.…