Author: Stephen Fenech

This post was sponsored by Samsung Samsung has reimagined the television and turned it into a work of art. The Frame is a TV one minute and a work of art the next and blends seamlessly into your home is decor like never before. Now customers can mount a Samsung 4K UHD TV on the wall and enjoy stunning picture quality and colour. And when they’re finished watching TV, they can turn it into a beautiful artwork with a range of paintings, prints and photos to suit your taste and style. The Frame, available in 55-inch and 65-inch sizes, includes…

You just bought your child a smartphone or tablet for Christmas but your duty of care doesn’t end there because you need to monitor what they’re doing at online. That’s where Family Zone comes in. Family Zone allows parents to filter content on any connected device at home and on the move and is an ideal safety platform to ensure their kids are not exposed to inappropriate content. Smartphones were a popular gift for children this Christmas but a parent’s responsibility includes keeping their kids safe online. Only a parent can decide the appropriate age to buy their child a…

This post was sponsored by Samsung Summer is here and we’re hitting the beach and swimming in the pool but we want to take our devices with us. In fact, research by Samsung shows our smartphone usage increases by 42 per cent during summer so it’s important your technology can stay by your side. Samsung’s range of products are “made for summer” and include its Galaxy smartphones and Gear smartwatches and fitness bands and the Gear 360 camera. Australians are pretty tech savvy and also love the great outdoors so having a product that keeps up with our lifestyle was…

If you’ve got an older iPhone and you think it’s slowing down – it’s not your imagination. Apple admitted it had throttled back older iPhones because they put too much strain on their ageing batteries. A Reddit post revealed benchmark tests of iPhones over time revealed processor performance decreased with battery degradation. A popular conspiracy theory is that this is a move by Apple to force customers to buy a new device, but the tech giant denied this and released a statement. “Our goal is to deliver the best experience for customers, which includes overall performance and prolonging the life…

Netgear’s Arlo range of wire free cameras already provide excellent coverage on your home network but now the new Arlo Go can provide the same monitoring anywhere because it has its own SIM card. It is the world’s first wire-free weather resistant 4G LTE high definition security camera that can be positioned anywhere. Suddenly the options open up for users who want to keep an eye on their boat, their car, their caravan or just about anything anywhere. Because you’re using the 4G cellular network for your connection you can now take this camera outside the reach of the your…

JBL is already a well-known name when it comes to speakers and audio and it has just released the JBL Link 10 and JBL Link 20 which add the convenience of Google’s voice assistant technology. For our review, we took a listen to the JBL Link 10 which stands about 17cm tall and offers five hours of playback on a single charge. The JBL Link 20 is a larger unit at 21cm tall and with a longer battery life of 10 hours. The speaker has volume and music controls on the top panel and a microphone mute button on the…

Huawei is ending what has been an impressive year for the company on a very positive note with the release of its high-quality new flagship smartphone the Mate 10 Pro. The device is impressive as soon as you take it out of the box and hold it in your hand. It has a head-turning design glossy curved back panel which merges seamlessly to the edges. There are two Leica lenses and a flash on the rear along with a fingerprint reader/home button directly underneath. On the front is a dazzling 6-inch screen that goes virtually edge to edge. The display…

Apple has unveiled plans for its new flagship store in Melbourne’s Federation Square which will replace the iconic southern building with a two-storey design concept and provide more space to the public. Apple had reportedly been in negotiations with Federation Square and the Victorian government for more than a year. The new Apple Federation Square will be powered entirely by renewable energy and will have more than 200 staff. The project isn’t due to begin until 2019. But the announcement did attract some controversy with  Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews’ Facebook page bombarded with negative comments. “This is public space Dan, not…

The post was sponsored by Samsung When it comes to buying TVs we normally look for size, design, picture quality and connectivity. But Samsung’s latest QLED TVs offer another feature that will suit Australian viewers – anti-glare technology. And that technology was actually inspired by the humble moth. More about that in a minute. As Australians, we live on the sunniest continent in the world and our homes are designed to take advantage of that fact and let in a lot of light and warmth. Compared to the rest of the world, we have quite a high ambient light level…

Not everybody wants a smartphone. In fact, there is a healthy number of customers who just want a device that is simple and easy-to-use. And that’s exactly what you get with the Doro 6520. The Doro 6520 is a clamshell, or flip phone as we used to call them, with a 2.8-inch display that’s easy to read. This display is not a touchscreen but it’s still easy to navigate the device’s menu through the physical directional keys on the phone. There is also a full numerical keypad and a number of shortcut keys to create messages or activate the camera.…

Stay updated and educated about the latest consumer tech news and reviews with Episode 279 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast hosted by editor Stephen Fenech. On this week’s show, the Sydney Cricket Ground releases an augmented reality app celebrating Steve Waugh’s legendary last ball century in 2003, why a third of NBN users would change back to their old connections if they could and how you can become a Star Wars tourist without having to visit a galaxy far, far away. In the Tech Guide reviews we take a look at the InCase NoviConnected smart carry-on case, the Breville…

The NBN has come under fire again after new research was revealed indicating that a third of customers would change back to their previous connection if they could. The research from WhistleOut –  Australia’s phone and Internet comparison site – has revealed varying user experiences for Australian NBN customers with one third wishing they could go back to their non-NBN service. Two thirds of Australians are satisfied with their NBN service but a massive 32 per cent had it better before with their old connection. Of the dissatisfied NBN users, 86 per cent said the service did not meet their…

We’ve written about of lot of smart products and the latest is a suitcase. Meet the InCase NoviConnected 4 Wheel Hubless Travel Roller that can charge your laptop and mobile and also tell you where it is. The carry-on bag has a built-in 10,050mAh battery so it can charge your smartphone or tablet up to 4 times. And with USB-C compatibility, it’s also got enough power to charge a MacBook or similar laptop as well. How often have you seen people crowding around power points in airports trying to get a bit more charge to their device? With the InCase…

A new augmented reality app has been created by Steve Waugh and the Sydney Cricket and Sports Ground Trust to celebrate the former Australian cricket captain’s famous last ball century at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 2003. This AR experience has been created to relive that famous ton 15 years ago to allow fans to immerse themselves into one of the most memorable innings in Australian Test cricket history. Users will hear commentary by Steve Waugh himself as well as an animated simulation of the memorable shots he played to get to his century. These were created in the studios…

This post has been sponsored by Samsung We normally write about one product at a time but obviously some are meant to work together like a gaming console with a 4K TV. In this case a match made in heaven is the Samsung QLED and the new Xbox One X. Not having the right pairing with your technology can really affect the entire experience. It would be like spending big money on a Ferrari and buying the cheapest tyres you can find. It’s really going to affect the performance. Like pairing the right wine with the right meal – the…

Star Wars The Last Jedi has been out for a few days now and we’re sure the diehard fans have seen it so we thought we’d share our thoughts (with MAJOR SPOILERS) and answer a few of the questions you may be asking. In this report were going to be talking about plot points and events from the film as well as pointing out things you might have missed and try to answer some of the many questions were sure you have. So, if you haven’t seen Star Wars The Last Jedi then it’s time for you to click on…

Christmas is almost upon us but there’s still time to find the right gift for your friends and family. Tech Guide’s 12 days of Christmas Gift Ideas is here to help you nail that choice. Today were wrapping it up with computers and accessories – products that everyone uses. There are plenty of choices in this category so we’re taking you through some interesting products that are good enough to sit under your Christmas tree. Here is the full list of Tech Guide’s 12 Days of Christmas Gift Ideas. Day 1: Cameras Day 2: Smartphones Day 3: Wearables/smartwatches Day 4:…

Start your weekend with Episode 326 of Two Blokes Talking Tech with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long to hear informed opinions about the biggest tech stories and products. On this week’s show, we talk about the Star Wars movie, the huge range of toys and merch and the new Samsung Gear Star Wars VR game Droid Repair Bay. Also on the show, Disney has bought up a lot of 21st Century Fox properties including X-Men, Modern Family and The Simpsons – is this the start of the Disney streaming channel to challenge Netflix? Plus we take…

One of the most interesting things about any Star Wars film, including the latest movie The Last Jedi, are the amazing environments and locations. The good news is they’re not in a galaxy far, far away – you can be a Star Wars tourist and visit them. Travel site Skyscanner has not only found the locations uses for filming in The Last Jedi – it has even worked out how much it will cost to get you there. If want to relive the excitement from the latest installment The Last Jedi you’ll have to head across to Dubrovnik in Croatia,…

Christmas is only a week and a half away so you will need to get moving to complete your shopping. Tech Guide’ 12 Days of Christmas Gift Ideas is here to help you find the perfect present to put under the tree for your family and friends. Today were looking at appliances that have a level of tech under the hood. Here is the full list of Tech Guide’s 12 Days of Christmas Gift Ideas. Be sure to check back every day to see all the categories and gift suggestions. Day 1: Cameras Day 2: Smartphones Day 3: Wearables/smartwatches Day…