Author: Stephen Fenech

Spend your weekend with the Two Blokes Talking Tech, Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long, listening to Episode 343 of their popular podcast. On this week’s show, Stephen and Trevor spend some time in the Samsung house at Bondi Beach filled with its connected smart appliances, security company Norton releases the Core Wi-Fi router and YouTube music to make its debut next week. Also on the show, how smart speakers are boosting connected device sales, Kaspersky relocates from Russia to Switzerland and Xbox develops a controller for players with limited mobility. In the minute reviews, we take…

We spend a lot of time at our desks working so it’s important we’re comfortable but at the same time maintaining a healthy posture which is easier thanks to new products now available from Kensington. Kensington, a company known for making quality accessories, peripherals and bags, has launched the SmartFit Sit/Stand Desk along with an Ergonomic Memory Foam Seat Cushion and an Anti-Fatigue Mat. All are designed to keep you comfortable as well as provide an ergonomic solution to help posture, increase circulation and relieve pressure on your spine. KENSINGTON SMARTFIT SIT/STAND DESK – $549 The benefits of a sit/stand…

DJI has a drone to suit everyone from beginner to professional and the new Tello drone is an ideal entry product for kids and adults for them to discover the joys of flying. And the good news is it’s really easy to fly. The drone from Ryze Tech is powered by DJI’s technology and it is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. It weighs just 80g. Users can control the drone with the Tello app which simplifies the whole process. The app teaches you the basics and educates pilots on how to steer the craft while take-off…

Xbox has released a first-of-its-kind device –  the Adaptive Controller – an affordable and easy-to-set-up wireless controller which has been specially designed for players with limited mobility. The goal was to make gaming more accessible and the new Adaptive Controller is the result. And it’s aimed at gamers with limited mobility who struggle with traditional controllers. The controller has two large buttons which can be reprogrammed as any of the standard controllers button inputs. The product was created in partnerships with organisations like The AbleGamers Charity, The Cerebral Palsy Foundation, SpecialEffect, Warfighter Engaged and Craig Hospital. Xbox has also worked…

Huawei’s P20 Pro is easily the best smartphone the company has ever produced with an exciting  and sleek design and arguably the best camera you will find on a mobile device. With the P20 Pro, Huawei has proven once and for all it can compete in the top grade against companies like Apple and Samsung. Naturally, the feature that most customers will be interested in will be the extraordinary triple lens camera system created in partnership with Leica. It will change the way you look at a smartphone camera. But while it has numerous features that may be superior to…

Australian tech start-up Teleportivity has launched a platform that has the potential to transform the way business and universities interact with their customers and students. The system allows customers to create a telepresence connection with a staff member through a screen to allow face to face chat in the event there is no one on-site to speak with. Tech Guide had a look at the platform at CeBIT in Sydney this week and we were instantly greeted by a woman on a 12.9-inch display (which was an iPad Pro) built into a stand that was at our eye level. This…

Norton, the industry-leading internet security company, has launched the Core Wi-Fi router featuring built-in protection for all the devices connected to your home network. The company has engineered the device from the ground up and incorporated its security expertise into the product while still offering impressive wireless performance. According to the Symantec 2017 Internet Security Threat Report, routers were singled out as one of the most exploited devices in the home. With that in mind, Norton came up with the Core Wi-Fi router that’s easy to set up with a mobile app and that offers customisable protection for the connected…

Melbourne Airport was the site of a world first today when a Tesla Model X P100D hitched a Qantas Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner to achieve the heaviest tow by an electric production passenger vehicle. The all electric SUV successfully towed the 130-tonne aircraft to achieve a Guinness World Record. The dual electric motors on the Model X P100D easily provided enough torque to haul the 787 for almost 300m. Today’s record is the first step in a partnership between Qantas and Tesla to showcase innovation for customers and increase sustainability in the transport industry. Tesla owners who are also Qantas Frequent…

Ladies and Gentleman, lend me your ears for Episode 299 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, Google both amazes and frightens with its next-level Google Duplex artificial intelligence, why your monthly mobile data allowance might be draining faster than usual and how Apple’s products will become more environmentally friendly. In the Tech Guide reviews, we take a look at the LG C8 OLED TV, the Microsoft Surface Pro with 4G and the D-Link Covr Wi-Fi system. In the…

Australia is in the middle of an internet-connected device explosion with the market growing 55 per cent last year and the uptake set to accelerate beyond 2020, according to technology analysts Telsyte. The Telsyte Australian IoT (Internet of Things) @Home Market Study 2018 reveals a fast adoption in smart speakers and security cameras has led to this trend. There are 17.1 connected devices in an average Australian household in 2018, according to the Telsyte research, up from 13.7 in 2017. But by 2022 that number is set to soar to 37 with more than 381 million internet-connected devices in the…

Facebook has suspended more than 200 third-party apps from the social media platform that may have misused your data as it conducts its investigation following the Cambridge Analytica scandal which harvested the data of millions of users without their knowledge. In an update on the Facebook website, Facebook’s VP of Product Partnerships Ime Archibong explained that thousands of apps had already been comprehensively reviewed in a thorough audit with more than 200 suspended to date. Since the Cambridge Analytica incident in 2014, Facebook has been trying to reduce the data apps could access. As a result it set this audit…

Panasonic has just launched a new rugged compact camera – the Lumix FT7 – which is waterproof to a depth of 31m and even freezeproof to a temperature of -10 degrees. It’s also dustproof, shockproof from a height of 2m and can withstand the weight of 100kg and designed to go where no smartphone camera would ever dare to venture. The device has a 20.4 megapixel sensor with a 28 mm wide angle Lumix lens with 4.6x zoom. The FT7 has a tough body and is ideal for your outdoor activities including fishing, camping, diving, surfing, skiing and snowboarding. Also…

Ever wondered why your data is draining so quickly each month? If you’re an Android user, here is a possible explanation. Google is using up to 1GB of your data each month to send back the data it’s collecting through your smartphone. This claim is currently under investigation by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) after tech corporation Oracle made the shocking discovery. According to the Daily Telegraph, Oracle says it has intercepted and decrypted messages sent back to Google from devices running Google’s Android operating system. The data being collected and transmitted include account information, location data and…

LG has delivered a standout product with its new C8 OLED TV. It’s a standout because it is brilliant both in design and the quality of the experience it provides and a standout because it sets itself apart from any other TV on the market. Just take one look at the TV – even before you’ve pressed the on button on the remote – and you’ll be impressed. LG has cracked the code on successfully producing OLED TV panels and now supplies the world. LG Displays actually provides the screens for the other OLED TVs on the market sold by…

Carpool Karaoke, the sketch from The Late, Late Show with James Corden, has become so popular it’s now a series that you can watch for free on your iPhone, iPad and Apple TV. Episodes from Season 1 are now available to view on the Apple TV app with no subscription required. The song-filled car ride now features celebrity pairings including Alicia Keys, John Legend, Billy Eichner and Metallica singing along in the car, sharing playlists and journeying on adventures. The carpool rides will include pairings of entertainment, sport and pop culture celebrities. Carpool Karaoke will also continue as a series…

Episode 342 of the popular Two Blokes Talking Tech podcast with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long is available now for your listening pleasure. On this week’s show, the amazing and frightening Google Duplex that can make calls on your behalf, the Huawei P20 Pro smartphone and the D-Link Covr Wi-Fi system. Also on the program, Samsung’s new smart appliances, the issues that can endanger the ZTE phone company and the Uber-like mobile plans we could be using in the future. In the minute reviews, we take a look at the Nixon Mission SS smartwatch and the…

Samsung has just released its addition to the Galaxy family of smartphones. It’s the Galaxy A8 – a stylish mid-tier device that delivers numerous features and functions. The Galaxy A8 has a 5.6 inch full high definition Super AMOLED Infinity display as well as dual front-facing (16-megapixel and 8-megapixel) cameras and a 16-megapixel rear camera. The device is powered by an octa-core processor with 32GB of internal memory, 4GB RAM and a microSD card slot. It also has features customers have come to expect from the Galaxy range including IP68 water and dust resistance, a fast charging battery and compatibility…

Your next iMac or MacBook could now be made from environmentally-friendly aluminium after Apple’s latest innovation that has the potential to transform an entire industry. In a collaboration between Apple and aluminium giants Alcoa and Rio Tinto, a new smelting process has been developed that eliminates all greenhouse gas emissions from the procedure. The new method to make aluminum, which is the result of decades worth of research, now produces oxygen instead of harmful gases that would contribute to the greenhouse effect. Aluminium is a popular material used in the manufacturing of a number of Apple products. But the way…

The Microsoft Surface Pro is already a pretty handy device but now, with the addition of 4G LTE connectivity, it has become even more powerful and can connect anywhere. Oddly, this latest Surface is the follow-up to the fourth-generation product but this time out Microsoft hasn’t designated a number for it. It’s the fifth-generation device and it looks pretty similar to its predecessors with most of the improvements under the hood including the addition of that 4G connectivity option. Users will also enjoy the power of the 7th gen Intel core processor with the 4G version of Surface Pro which…

Samsung has released its latest range of smart home appliances including the latest Family Hub refrigerator, the QuickDrive washing machine and the Powerstick Pro cordless stick vacuum cleaner. Each of these new products is designed to help make life easier at home and save time on the everyday chores and cleaning. And being connected products, customers can easily interact with each and receive notifications on their smartphone. The QuickDrive washing machines and Powerstick Pro stick vacuum cleaners are available now while the Family Hub refrigerator will go on sale on June 30. SAMSUNG FAMILY HUB The Samsung Family Hub refrigerator…