Author: Stephen Fenech

Audi has become the latest car company to introduce an electric vehicle when it unveiled the sporty e-tron SUV – its first fully electric production model in San Francisco this week. The Audi e-tron SUV has two powerful electric motors with a system output of up to 300 kW. It can sprint from 0 to 100km/h in 5.7 seconds with a top speed of 200km/h. The car will have a range of 400km and fast charging at up to 150kW. The electrical all-wheel drive provides excellent traction and handling on any terrain in any weather conditions. Audi’s new e-tron SUV…

ANZ has just launched a new digital ATM which doesn’t require a debit or credit card. Instead customers can use their smartphone or smartwatch to withdraw cash from their account. Instead of using a card and remembering a PIN code, users can use their smartwatch or smartphone like they would making a tap and go purchase. The transaction will also be authorised through the device’s own security set-up including fingerprint and facial identification. The ANZ Wallet ATM works with the current range of compatible digital payment options used by ANZ including Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Google Pay. There are…

D-Link has launched the Vigilance Outdoor Dome Network Camera which offers a professional surveillance solution which is perfect for small and medium businesses as well as schools and universities. The DCS-4633DEV has a resolution of 2048 x 1536 and features support for H.265 compression and a microSD card slot to record locally rather than in the cloud. As its name suggests, the D-Link camera is housed inside a clear dome and has the ability to pan, tilt and zoom. And with an IP66 rating, the D-Link Vigilance Outdoor Dome Network Camera is water resistant and can handle being placed outdoors.…

LG’s range of 2018 smart TVs have been upgraded to use Google Assistant to allow easier and more intelligent voice interaction with the ThinQ-enabled TV so users can manage daily tasks, find answers and control the TV just by talking to it. Customers with a 2018 LG TV, from OLED all the way down to their 32-inch TV, is compatible with this new update. Users can check the TV’s settings and run the update or see if the TV has updated automatically to firmware version 4.10.05 on LG’s OLED TVs or firmware version 4.10.03 on all the other LG SUHD,…

Hear about all the announcements from Apple’s iPhone launch event in Episode 317 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast, hosted by editor Stephen Fenech, along with all the other tech news and reviews. On this week’s show we go through the iPhone Xs, iPhone Xs Max, the iPhone Xr and the Apple Watch Series 4 and we answer all of the questions you had after the event. In the Tech Guide reviews we check out the Synology DS418Play NAS (network attached storage), the D-Link Covr 2202 mesh wi-fi system and the Oppo Find X Lamborghini edition of the smartphone. In…

It’s a big day for Apple users with the release of iOS 12 and watchOS 5 – so customers can get a new look and feel and new features for their iPhone and Apple Watch without having to buy new device. Before installing watchOS 5 on their Apple Watch, users need to get iOS 12 on the iPhone. To do this is really simple. Go to Settings > General > Software Update and you should see the iOS 12 waiting for you. The iOS 12 update is suitable for any phone going back as far as the iPhone 5s and…

Oppo has supercharged its innovative Find X smartphone with even faster charging and also launched a special limited edition Lamborghini version of the device. The Find X is now available with SuperVOOC flash charging – the world’s fastest charging technology which can now fully charge the device, which has a bi-cell design with two 1,700 batteries (the equivalent of one 3,400mAh battery) in just 35 minutes. This latest model, which will be priced at $1,299, also has more memory with 256GB on board plus 8GB RAM to deliver remarkable speed, power and performance. https://youtu.be/9AHARbPikS4 The Find X features a unique…

One thing we all have in common as tech users is the incredible amount of data we’re creating and accessing on a daily basis which is why a product like the Synology DiskStation Manager can become a valuable asset. Tech Guide took a look at the Synology DS418Play – a four-bay NAS (network attached storage) which is like having your own cloud to store all your data. It can be used to store video, pictures, audio and documents so they can be accessible anywhere on your home network and from anywhere in the world. The device itself has a dual…

Preorders for Apple’s brand-new iPhones – the iPhone Xs and the iPhone Xs Max – have kicked off while Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone revealed their plans and started taking orders. Our observations of Apple’s preorder status as well as popularity among the telcos showed it was nowhere the frenzy of last year’s pre-sale of the iPhone X. Last year, within minutes of pre-orders commencing, the shipping date for the iPhone X had extended out by up to six weeks. But this time more than an hour after pre-sales for the iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max, most models and capacities…

Apple released three new iPhones and an updated Apple Watch but there were a number of questions that came up during the launch event so we decided to answer them for you. Apple revealed the iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max along with the iPhone XR which showcased numerous new features and slightly tweaked designs. Apple Watch Series 4 was also introduced with some amazing life-saving features including full detection and the ability to monitor your heart more closely. But there are lots of questions that we and our readers have about the new products. WILL THE iPHONE X STILL…

Instagram TV (IGTV) was finally launched as both a standalone app and as a native functionality within the platform’s existing app. But for many brands and social media content creators, there has been a great deal of panic over how to properly use this new media format. However, with the right elements in mind, there is actually very little that needs to change in order to tap into this medium. This is especially true if you’ve already been tackling video content using Instagram stories with success. The rise of IGTV will essentially have a short-term impact on three approaches to…

The new iPhone is how much? That’s been a common response since Apple unveiled its latest, biggest and most expensive iPhones today. There were three new iPhones announced and they have no home buttons, no headphone jacks and not one of them is under $1,200. The iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max start at $1,629 and $1,799 respectively. The most expensive model – the iPhone Xs Max 512GB is an eye-watering $2,369. They go on sale next week. The iPhone XR starts at $1,229 but is not available till the end of October. No other tech company, besides Apple, could…

Apple has introduced a redesigned and re-engineered Apple Watch Series 4 with a larger display that focuses on health and fitness while also keeping users connected at the same time. The new Apple Watch Series 4 has numerous improvements on both the hardware and software side. It will also be available into new sizes – 40mm and 44mm – and starts at $599 (40mm) and $649 (44mm). The cellular versions will start at $749 (40mm Cellular) and $799 (44mm Cellular). The device is available to preorder from tomorrow (September 14) and goes on sale on September 21. Apple Watch Series…

Apple today has unveiled its biggest and most expensive iPhones ever – the iPhone Xs, iPhone Xs Max and the iPhone XR – which all boast improved display technology, better cameras and a range of colours. Apple revealed theses latest iPhones, along with the updated Apple Watch Series 4, at the Steve Jobs Theatre at the company headquarters in Cupertino. CEO Tim Cook opened the event by announcing Apple was closing in on two billion iOS devices – iPhones and iPads – around the world. The iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max will be available to preorder from tomorrow (September…

Two Blokes Talking Tech Episode 359, with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long, talk about the week’s biggest tech news stories and product releases. On this week’s show, the new Foxtel GO app and its new streaming features, what Apple will release at this week’s event and Mercedes Benz unveils its first electric vehicle. The blokes also talk about the new Tesla software updates, the other mid-tier phones in the market including new models by Oppo and LG and the new Bose speakers. In the minute reviews we talk about the Logitech K600 keyboard for your smart…

Google Maps Street View is about to improve dramatically in Australia with Google announcing eight new vehicles will be hitting the road in Sydney and Melbourne to capture high-quality 360-degree imagery. Google says it has been eight years since the camera technology used to capture Street View has been updated. Eight years is a long time and allows plenty of time for improvement as the cameras on our smartphones demonstrate. These new Google Street View vehicles are equipped with state-of-the-art 360-degree camera technology to capture a higher quality images in any light conditions across Australia. Street View is used millions…

Cables. We all need them. And usually more than one. So wouldn’t it be great if instead of carrying three cables we could carry just one. That’s now possible with the new Nomad Universal 3-in-1 Charging Cable. This rugged cable features an Apple Lightning tip, USB-C and a microUSB to suit all your devices including iPhones, iPads, Android smartphones and tablets and laptops. It has a multi-tip charging option with a default microUSB plug with the Lightning and USB-C connectors attached near the top of the cable with a flexible plastic arm. When a particular tip is needed it simply…

Tune in to Episode 316 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast, hosted by editor Stephen Fenech, to stay updated and educated about the latest consumer tech news and reviews. On this week’s show, what we can expect to see at Apple’s iPhone launch event, Foxtel updates the Foxtel GO app – but there is a catch and Tesla rolls out a new security feature and a free trial of the Enhanced Autopilot self-driving feature. In the Tech Guide reviews, we take a look at the Ring Spotlight Camera, the Logitech keyboard you can use with your smart TV and Bose…

Apple will be holding its iPhone launch event this week and there are huge expectations as to what will be announced. Tech Guide takes a look at what we can expect to see. The event will kick off at 3am on Thursday September 13 (Sydney time) and will be streamed live through Apple TV and the Apple website. September events have traditionally been for iPhone releases and this year will be no different. We are expecting three new iPhones. iPHONE XS – 5.8-INCH DISPLAY Apple will once again unveil a new iPhone X with a 5.8-inch OLED screen that will…

D-Link has launched a new high-powered seamless wi-fi mesh system – the tri-band Covr-2202 – which can provide consistent whole home wi-fi coverage The new Covr-2202 is a follow-up to the recently launched Covr-C1203 dual band wi-fi mesh system and is also a scalable solution so you’ll have wireless coverage in every corner of your home and property. The latest Covr-2202 is comprised of two taller units which can blanket even the largest home with fast and reliable wireless coverage. This new tri-band AC2200 system features a dedicated 5Ghz smart backhaul which means there are two bands connecting to devices…