Author: Stephen Fenech

Australians attitudes to robotics are changing and we are happy embrace the technology if it means we can get out doing the household chores, according to research by ECOVACS – one of the world’s leading home robotics innovators. With our even busier lifestyles the majority of Australians (64 per cent) are open to robotic products cleaning our homes. And that figure is even higher among 30-39-year-olds at 74 per cent. These findings have been released as ECOVACS launches its new range of smart home robotic solutions which include robotic vacuum cleaners which can look after carpet and even mop the…

The Samsung Galaxy S9 doesn’t look too different from the outside but there’s still a lot to be excited about with this new device including one of the best cameras ever seen on a smartphone. Samsung’s promotions ahead of the launch of the Galaxy S9 and S9+ promised “The Camera. Reimagined” – and boy did it deliver. The camera onboard the S9 and the even better S9+ have set a new benchmark. The S9+ was actually judged by DxOMark as having the world’s best smartphone camera. You can capture stunning pictures during the day and even in low light, create…

HTC U11 Life, the affordable new member of the U family of smartphones, goes on sale in Australia next week and inherits most of the flagship innovations of its HTC big brother, the U11. It will be one of the first devices running the new Android One software available in Australia. The device has a 5.2-inch full high definition screen and is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 octa-core processor. Android One is a streamlined and lighter version of the Android smartphone operating system which will be powering entry and mid-level devices to ensure consistent and reliable performance. The HTC…

Customers have a lot of choices when it comes to buying a laptop computer and the Acer Spin 5 convertible can be used as both a laptop and tablet for work or play. Convertibles are becoming even more popular in the PC laptop world and Acer’s take on the product is a respectable one with the Spin 5. It comes in 13 and 15-inch models and for our review we got our hands on the 13.3-inch device. The Acer Spin 5 is powered by the latest 8th generation Intel core processor and NVIDIA graphics cards so it really delivers on…

Samsung has unveiled its 2018 range of QLED TVs at the American Stock Exchange in New York with the emphasis on larger screens and an enhanced viewing experience. But they can also blend into the wall when you’re not watching TV. The new Samsung TVs will be available in Australia in April with pricing to be revealed closer to launch time. There are four series of QLED TVs along with an expanded line-up of UHD, Premium UHD and Ultra Large screen TVs. Also showcased at the launch event were new features, smart capabilities and other design elements which help the TV complement your home’s décor.…

Staying home to watch your favourite TV show is a thing of the past. Now we can watch and stream on the go –  a practice that has increased by 30 per cent in the last six months as Australians embrace new ways to access free-to-air content. More than seven million Australians have streamed more than two billion minutes of catch up and live streaming content in the past month according to the latest OzTAM VPM 28 Day Rolling and Live Streaming reports. “We’re thrilled that Aussies are choosing to watch more free-to-air BVOD (broadcast video on demand) content than…

Dyson has just introduced the world’s most powerful cord-free stick vacuum cleaner – the Cyclone V10. Remarkably it has 20 per cent more suction despite being smaller and lighter than V8. The company has so much confidence in its cord free vacuum technology, it has actually decided to stop making corded vacuum products. Tech Guide has been testing the new Dyson Cyclone V10 for the last two weeks and can absolutely confirm these impressive improvements for ourselves. The secret sauce is the new Dyson digital motor that powers the V10. It is half the weight of the motor used in…

Episode 289 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast, hosted by editor Stephen Fenech, is available now so you can stay updated and educated about the latest consumer tech news and products. On this week’s show, why Australians are loyal to their mobile provider and why that loyalty could be costing us money, Telstra is bumping customers up to faster NBN speeds for free and Samsung’s Galaxy S9+ judged as the world’s best smartphone camera. In the Tech Guide reviews, we take a look at the Alcosense Verity personal breathalyzer, HTC Vive Pro virtual reality headset and the ZTE foldable smartphone…

Prestige car manufacturer Jaguar has just unveiled its first all-electric car which maintains the company’s heritage of an attractive design accompanied with thrilling performance. The new I-Pace is an SUV that has the same surefooted characteristics of a Jaguar but it’s a pure BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle). On board is a 90kWh battery that is made up of high energy density lithium ion pouch cells which are built with thermal management to provide longevity and maximum power when needed. The two on-board electric motors provide instant torque and all-wheel drive traction with an acceleration giving you from 0 to 100km/h…

It was the phone immortalised in the hit film The Matrix and now it’s back. The Nokia 8110 was unveiled at Mobile World Congress last week and we got our hands on it to take a closer look. Nokia announced an impressive range of new Android smartphones, but it was the 8110 that captured everyone’s imagination in Barcelona. It was almost a replay of last year’s show when the company unveiled the 3310. This time out Nokia has decided to reproduce a cult favourite which became a collector’s item after Keanu Reeves’ character Neo uses the device in a memorable…

Australians are a loyal bunch when it comes to picking and sticking with their mobile provider despite the opportunity to switch telcos and get a better deal, according to the latest research from Finder. Comparison site finder.com.au says the average Australian has been with the same provider for 6.5 years. Only a third (38 per cent) have switched telcos in the last three years. For 14 per cents of customers, they’ve been with the same telco for up to 5 years with 26 per cent not switching for between 6 to 10 years. One in five Australian smartphone users has…

There aren’t many tech products that just might be able to save your life or the life of others. The AlcoSense Verity personal breathalyser could certainly be one of them. The compact device can provide highly accurate readings of your blood alcohol concentration – in the same way the police can in a random breath test by the side of the road. It can tell you whether you’re OK to drive or not after you’ve had a drink. We’ve seen enough episodes of RBT to know a lot of people are not the best judges of their alcohol level before…

Boost Mobile, the youth focused telco brand, has announced new Anytime Plus pre-paid plans which have increased data allowances and calls to standard international numbers in 50 countries. Younger Australians are consuming more data on the move than ever before. According to Pedestrian Group research, one in four young Australians have not watched an episode of commercial television in the past month while averaging 15 episodes of Netflix in the same period. Group chat has also eclipsed social media as the way these young users communicate. All of Boost’s Anytime Plus pre-paid plans have had data increases on recharges of…

More than one million Telstra home and small business customers will have their NBN speed tier upgraded at no additional cost to give them an even better experience on the network. Customers currently on the 25Mbps down/5Mbps up plan will be upgraded to 50/20 plan for free. These customers are not required to do anything, Telstra will just upgrade the speeds in the background and let customers know once it has been completed. New customers signing up to Telstra’s home Internet bundle will be the first to receive the Telstra Smart Modem which has the latest wi-fi technology on board…

The Samsung Galaxy S9+ has just been declared by DxOMark as having the world’s best smartphone camera, overtaking the Google Pixel 2 and Apple’s iPhone X. DxOMark has just published the results of an exhaustive analysis of the Samsung Galaxy S9+ smartphone, which was only announced a few days ago at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The device has a dual lens and dual aperture camera and earned the highest overall DxOMark score to date of 99 points. The Google Pixel 2 and the iPhone X had scores of 98 and 97 respectively. In its summary, DxOMark said the Galaxy…

Kogan Mobile is offering a “buy one get one free” deal for anyone who wants to team up with a family member, friend or spouse to take advantage of the offer which effectively gives each their plan for half-price. Customers who sign up to purchase the Medium, Large or Extra Large 365-day voucher will get a second plan absolutely free. Kogan Mobile, which uses the Vodafone 4G network, is offering this deal to new and existing customers from today. The special offer will expire on Monday April 30. All of the Kogan Mobile 365-day plans offers unlimited talk and text…

The HTC Vive is already a popular high-end virtual reality product and it has just got even better with the addition of a wireless adapter and improved hardware that makes the experience even better. Tech Guide had a chance to try the new HTC Vive Pro at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The addition of a wireless adapter allows the user to literally use the product untethered. Without the adapter, a player would have a long cable trailing away to their PC. Now anyone using the HTC Vive Pro can enjoy wireless freedom. An interesting thing we found was that…

Two Blokes Talking Tech – Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long – are at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona for Episode 335 to cover all the news and smartphone announcements from the show. On this week’s show, the blokes discuss Samsung’s latest Galaxy S9 and S9+ smartphone with an enhanced camera and a range of colours. There’s even a Lilac Purple coming to Australia – and which one of the blokes said he would use it? Also on the show, all the other announcements including Alcatel’s new range which all feature 18:9 displays and top shelf features…

Before the end of the year, Australian mobile customers will be able to enjoy record-breaking 4G network speeds that are 20 times faster than the NBN after a successful test of the technology. Netgear, Telstra, Ericsson and Qualcomm announced earlier this month they had achieved speeds of up to 2Gbps. The companies conducted a successful live demonstration of the technology during Mobile World Congress in Barcelona to showcase the lightning fast speeds. In 2017, Netgear released its Nighthawk M1 mobile broadband device in partnership with Telstra with speeds of up to 1Gbps possible on the 4G LTE network. Now that…

Sony has introduced its updated flagship Xperia smartphone range which has an updated design and advanced features to create an even more immersive entertainment experience. The two new smartphones are the Xperia XZ2 and the Xperia XZ2 Compact with both models offering improved cameras, screens and audio technology as well as a sleek new design. “If entertainment is your priority, then our new Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact are your smartphones,” said John Featherstone, Managing Director of Oceania, Sony Mobile Communications. “We have pushed Sony Mobile’s boundaries even further with these new products, for everything from video recording and viewing…