Author: Stephen Fenech

TCL Communication has unveiled its latest BlackBerry smart phone – the KEY2 LE – which now has a refined modern look with a redesigned chassis and even smaller screen bezels. The BlackBerry KEY2 LE will be available in three colours – Slate, Champagne and Atomic – and is made from a lightweight polycarbonate frame and a newly-designed soft textured back for better grip. The device is both thinner and lighter and also includes a redesigned keyboard with keys that almost 10 per cent larger than those on the previous model. The physical keyboard is designed to increase accuracy and precision…

TCL has joined major TV players Samsung and LG and introduced its first 8K TV model at the IFA tech trade show in Berlin. It will be available for Australian customers in 2019. The new 8K TV – the X10 – will be released alongside TCL’s new Frame TV+ and the X8. All of these new TVs will be released in Australia next year and will be running the Android operating system along Alexa and Google Assistant. The TCL X10 will include an 8K display with local dimming technology to offer enhanced contrast and picture quality. Each of the new…

Alcatel has revealed a new 8-inch family-friendly Android tablet running the latest Oreo operating system at the IFA tech trade show in Berlin. The Alcatel 3T 8, which will be priced at less than $130 when it is released in Australia, has a slim and lightweight design along with 4G connectivity and a powerful battery. The device weighs in at just 279g and is only 8.2mm thick and will be available in Metallic Black or Suede Blue matte finish. Alcatel’s 3T 8 is designed for work and play and can be paired with a Bluetooth keyboard to increase your productivity.…

Samsung, the world’s number one TV manufacturer, will enter the 8K TV market with a new QLED TV equipped with artificial intelligence to upscale content to suit the new format. Unveiled at the IFA tech trade show in Berlin, The Q900R QLED 8K TV will be available in four screen sizes – 65-inch, 75-inch, 82-inch and 85-inch. Also onboard the Samsung 8K TV will be Real 8K Resolution which will allow for a 4,000 peak nit brightness along Q HDR 8 to optimise the TV’s brightness and colour levels. Samsung’s proprietary 8K AI Upscaling will also upscale picture and sound…

Vodafone and TPG have agreed to join forces in a “merger of equals” believed to be worth $15 billion with the agreement drawing interesting reactions across the telco community. The new entity will mean TPG shareholders will own 49.9 per cent of the new group with Vodafone Hutchison Australia owning the remaining 50.1 per cent. The merger, which was unanimously recommended by the TPG board, will also give the new entity the power to complete against rival telcos Telstra and Optus. The deal will substantially consolidate the companies assets – TPG (which owns Internode and iiNet) is the second-largest NBN…

Samsung has released a new portable SSD (solid-state drive) – the Samsung Portable SSD X5 – which achieves exceptional speeds reading and writing data, making it an ideal storage solution for content creators on the go. It is Samsung’s first NVMe-based portable solid-state drive that has a compact and rugged form factor. Users moving large files like 4K videos and real-time 3D rendered images now have a fast and convenient way to store and transfer their data. Leveraging NVMe and Thunderbolt 3 technologies, the Samsung X5  is four times faster than USB 3.1 with read speeds of up to 2,800MB …

LG will unveil its latest OLED TV technology – the world’s first 8K panel with a resolution of 7680 x 4320 – at the IFA tech trade show in Berlin. The 88-inch 8K LG OLED TV features more than 33 million self-emitting pixels which combine to offer a contrast ratio and deep black level that only OLED technology can produce. LG has led the world with its OLED panel technology and continues to drive consumer adoption of their OLED TVs. The company says OLED TV shipments will reach more than nine million units by 2022. And while the 8K TV…

D-Link has launched two new high definition wireless cameras and upgraded the companion app to meet all your home monitoring needs. The two new cameras are the DCS 8300LH Full HD Wi-Fi Camera and the DCS 8525LH Full HD Pan and Tilt Wi-Fi Camera and they extend D-Link’s Smart Camera LH Series range. The new mydlink app also offers new features and opens up cloud recording options along with third-party integration with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and IFTTT. Both cameras also come with sound and motion detection functionality as well as two-way audio so you can talk to and hear…

Samsung has announced record pre-sales and huge first weekend sales for the new Galaxy Note 9 smartphone which went on sale on Friday. The Galaxy Note 9 is the most powerful device Samsung has ever produced and it eclipsed pre-sales record for any previous Note device. “The Galaxy Note is one of our most loved products and we believe the Note 9 is complete game-changer for Samsung when it comes to power, performance, and craftsmanship,” said Garry McGregor, Vice President Mobile and IT, Samsung Electronics Australia. “It changes what customers can expect from our devices. “Updates from around the country…

Tesla has launched mobile servicing and also opened a new Service and Delivery centre in Sydney in anticipation of the launch of the Model 3 next year. Located in Bourke Road, Alexandria not far from Sydney Airport, the new Tesla Service and Delivery centre will become the primary delivery centre in Sydney and allow for greater volume of deliveries as ownership of electric vehicles grows. It will also help Tesla cope with the expected high demand for the Model 3 which was showcased at Tesla stores across Australia. The new facility will also service existing Model S and Model X…

Episode 314 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast is a special smartphone edition where editor Stephen Fenech reviews three of the latest devices and delivers the latest consumer tech news. On this week’s show, we run our eye over the Samsung Galaxy Note 9, the Oppo Find X and the Huawei Nova 3i. Also on the show, DJI has launched two new Mavic drones, Fitbit has unveiled the new Fitbit Charge 3 and JBL’s new earphones which allows users to take their music anywhere. And in the Tech Guide Help Desk we provide some hints on how to get your…

The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 has been released and Tech21, a leader in impact protection for smartphones, has released a new range of cases for customers to protect their new investment. The new “Designed for Samsung” range includes the Evo Check, Pure Clear and the Evo Wallet. The cases include Tech21’s patented FlexShock technology which can absorb and dissipate the energy of an impact and keep the device protected. Tech21 has also developed new Evo Glass screen protectors designed for the Samsung Galaxy Note 9’s curved display. EVO CHECK – $54.95  This thin and light Evo Check cases protect your…

Dyson has just launched a new range of purifying fans which can not only keep you cool but also rid of your home of potentially harmful pollutants and allergens at the same time. The Dyson Pure Cool fans combine several of the company’s key technologies in airflow and filtration to tackle indoor air pollution. This pollution comes from a number of sources including cleaning products, scented candles, indoor paints and cooking fumes. And the design of our modern homes, which are sealed to comply with energy efficiency requirements, are making matters worse because these pollutants are trapped inside. “Poor air…

Unsane is thriller about a woman who is committed to an institution and must deal with her paranoia and whether her fears are real or imagined. One fun fact – it was shot entirely on an iPhone 7 Plus. The film stars Claire Foy, who starred as Queen Elizabeth in The Crown, and is directed by Oscar-winner Steven Soderbergh. Unsane was shot in just 10 days in 4K using the iPhone 7 Plus through an app called FiLMiC Pro. “Because of fewer crew and equipment around, the iPhone created a greater intimacy as you would sometimes forget it was there,”…

Oppo has certainly created some waves in the smartphone market and it will continue that disruption with the release of its unique Find X – a nicely-designed device with a hidden camera – and no notch. The Chinese challenger brand has been delivering attractive smartphones (many that look identical to iPhones) for years but the Find X has gone in an exciting new direction. What we’re seeing with most devices is an 18:9 display but they still have to make room for front facing cameras and sensors and speakers. Apple got around this by introducing the notch and many other…

Start your weekend with Episode 357 of the popular 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, Samsung’s Galaxy Note 9 goes on sale, Vodafone in merger talks with TPG and the new F1 2018 game is now available. The blokes also discuss why we prefer texting to calling and they preview the upcoming IFA tech trade show in Berlin which they will be attending. In the minute reviews, the Google Home Max speaker and the Huawei Nova 3i…

DJI has introduced two new Mavic 2 drones which have been significantly updated with breakthrough new technology that will open up a whole new world of possibilities for drone photographers. The two new Mavic 2 drones – the Mavic 2 Zoom and the Mavic 2 Pro – have up to 31 minutes flight time and omnidirectional obstacle sensing. And like the previous Mavic, the drone folds down to the size of a water bottle – 8.4cm high, 21.4cm long and 9.1cm wide. Onboard is an all-new digital video transmission system to allow for up to 8km range for 1080p live…

Samsung’s new Galaxy Note 9 might not look too different from last year’s model but it is still a significant improvement in several key areas over last year’s impressive Note 8. The company took a tentative step forward with last year’s Note 8 – the first device since the ill-fated Note 7 – yet still a key moment to deliver a new device to the fanatical Note customer. But with the new Galaxy Note 9, which goes on sale today, Samsung has taken off the shackles and ramped up the features across the board. It has a bigger battery, a…

We’ve written about the Nanoleaf Aurora lighting panels – the solution that allows users to design exactly how it looks – and now there’s a cool new way to control them – the Nanoleaf Remote. The smart lighting system can be controlled with the Nanoleaf companion app and is also compatible with Apple’s HomeKit so it can also be controlled using your voice through Siri. The Nanoleaf Remote is a dodecahedron – which means it is has 12 sides – and offers effortless control. Once the Nanoleaf Remote is connected to your wi-fi and to panels, you can take control.…

Huawei has become a major player in the smartphone market and it is devices like the Nova 3i that has helped the company become the number two brand in the world. The device has a sleek, thin design with a bright 6.3-inch high resolution (2340 x 1080) display. At the top of the screen is an Apple-like notch which makes room for the two front facing cameras, the proximity sensor and a speaker. Users do have the option of squaring off the top of the screen if they don’t like the notch. We didn’t mind it, it gave us more…