Author: Stephen Fenech

It’s time to get updated and educated about the latest consumer tech news and reviews with Episode 265 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast, hosted by editor Stephen Fenech. On this week’s show, we’ve just arrived home from Berlin and we wrap up all the big announcements from LG, Samsung, Hisense, Sony, Alcatel and Ecovacs Robotics. Also on the show, Apple has confirmed it will be holding an iPhone launch event next week and we take a look at the Sphero app-enabled droids BB9E and R2D2 plus the augmented reality apps we can expect to see for the iPhone and…

There are a lot of people looking forward to the release of Apple’s new iPhone which is set to give the Australian smartphone market a real shot in the arm and encourage customers to upgrade to a new device. Analyst firm Telsyte, says the Australian smartphone market is looking healthy after 4.4 million sales in the first half of 2017, that’s an increase of 16 per cent year on year. Android continues to enjoy market leadership with a customer base of 55 per cent with Samsung, Huawei and Oppo the leading manufacturers. Apple iPhone users make up 44 per cent…

Telstra has today announced a partnership with Foxtel which will give mobile customers a free 12-month subscription to content packs from online streaming service Foxtel Now. Customers who take up Go Mobile Plus plans valued at $99 and above before December 25 will be eligible to receive the 12 month Foxtel Now subscription on top of their data inclusions. The offer includes three Foxtel Now starter packs including Pop, Drama, Docos, Kids and Lifestyle to customise the viewing experience to their tastes. Foxtel Now launched earlier this year and gives access to premium content including HBO which just aired the…

Hisense wants to provide a larger home viewing experience for its customers after unveiling a new Laser TV at the IFA tech tradeshow in Berlin alongside other innovations for future products. The Hisense Laser TV is a short-throw projector that can project a 100-inch image onto a dedicated screen from just a few inches from the wall. The device would sit on an entertainment unit close to the wall and beam the 4K image onto the fixed screen beside it. And with the brightness of 2,500 nits, the Hisense Laser TV can be viewed easily day or night. Tech Guide…

Sony has introduced a range of new products at the IFA tech tradeshow in Berlin including noise-cancelling earphones, Bluetooth voice-controlled speakers and stunning new 4K HDR home theatre projectors. The company unveiled an impressive line-up of products to please the music and movie loving customers who have an eye for high-quality content. SONY WF-1000X NOISE-CANCELLING EARPHONES – $399.95 We’ve heard of Sony’s noise-cancelling headphones but take a look at the noise cancelling wire free earphones. The WF-1000X have no cables whatsoever and each earbud utilises the company’s industry leading noise-cancellation technology to reduce ambient noise and allow you to focus…

Two Blokes Talking Tech Episode 313, with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long, is coming to you from Berlin where they are attending the IFA tech trade show. They talk about Force Friday and the amazing Star Wars products just revealed, Samsung’s new wearable products and JBL headphones for kids. Also on the show, LG unveils the V30 smartphone, Apple confirms the iPhone event for September 12 and we get a glimpse at the first wave of apps that take advantage or Apple’s AR Kit. In the minute reviews, we check out the Kobo AURA H2O Edition…

Alcatel has further enhanced its reputation of creating high quality products at affordable prices after revealing two new smartphones and a connected smartwatch designed for kids at the IFA tech trade show in Berlin. The new Alcatel products include MOVETIME Family Watch, the Idol 5S and A7 smartphones which will be released in early 2018. “Our releases announced today at IFA prove once again that premium and innovative technology can be met with affordability and accessibility,” said Sam Skontos, VP and Regional Managing Director, Alcatel South-East Asia and Pacific. “The MOVETIME Family Watch is a particularly exciting addition for us,…

Ecovacs Robotics has launched its latest robot vacuum products at the IFA tech trade show in Berlin with a selection of these devices due to arrive in Australia for the first time in the coming months. A leader in the global robotics vacuum market, Ecovacs debuted its latest cleaning robots including the Deebot Ozmo 610 and the Deebot Ozmo 930 which are both equipped with technology which can sweep, mop and vacuum. The products have built in sensors so they can navigate your home and map the rooms. The Deebot Ozmo robotic vacuums can easily differentiate between carpets and hard floor…

Fitbit has just unveiled its brand-new fitness wearable –  the Fitbit Ionic –  which is a sport smartwatch that offers personal coaching, a built in GPS, heart rate monitor and it is water resistant to 50m. The device will be available in Australia in October and will be priced at $449.95. Fitbit Ionic has a moulded unibody that is made out of strong and lightweight aerospace- grade aluminium. It has a high-res touchscreen with the brightness of up to 1000 nits so it is easy to view day or night whenever you’re working out. Users will receive personalised workouts that…

Apple has confirmed it will be holding a launch event on September 12 to unveil the new iPhone at the Steve Jobs Theatre which is inside the company’s new campus in Cupertino. The invitation sent out to media has the heading “Let’s meet at our place” and then reads: “Please join us for the first-ever event at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino”. The event will kick off at 10am on September 12 (3am on Sept 13 Australian Eastern Time) and is likely to be streamed live on the Apple website and through Apple TV. This is shaping up to…

Sphero has launched two amazing two products to coincide with Force Friday II – the app-enabled droid R2D2 and BB9E – the all new character from latest Star Wars film The Last Jedi. Apple Stores are also joining Force Friday II from today and over the weekend with coding sessions to control the Star Wars droids and create your own trailer. The big surprise for Star Wars fans is the all-new BB9E droid – a similar astromech droid as the lovable BB8 – except this one has an affiliation with the First Order. It has a black ball section and…

LG has unveiled the powerhouse new V30 smartphone – the latest in its flagship V Series – with multimedia features to offer users a high-end experience to create and enjoy content on the move. The device, unveiled at the IFA tech trade show in Berlin, has a 6-inch 18:9 Quad HD+ OLED FullVision display with a resolution of 2880 x 1440 and 538ppi (pixels per inch). It has remarkably thin bezels to give customers an unhindered view of their apps and their content. Under the hood are a number of industry innovations including the first f1.6 aperture camera lens on…

Samsung has unveiled three new wearable devices on the eve of the IFA technology trade show in Berlin – a fitness smartwatch, an upgraded GPS sportsband and cordfree earbuds. The products are aimed at the customer who wants to live a healthier life and stay connected at the same time. They include the Gear Sport – a water resistant sport smartwatch, the Gear Fit2 Pro – a smart sportsband with built-in GPS and the Gear IconX – true wireless earphones. Each of the new Gear devices can help users track their fitness and nutrition as well as monitor their sleep.…

One of the biggest new features of Apple’s upcoming iOS 11 for the iPhone and iPad is going to be augmented reality and Tech Guide got a sneak peek at some of the apps created with the AR Kit for developers. Augmented Reality is the ability to add a digital layer to reality when you are looking at the world through your device’s camera. This technology can be used in a variety of ways and with the AR Kit for iOS 11, Apple has provided all the tools necessary for a developer to put their imagination to work. Before AR…

Do you have a fear of being away from your smartphone? That’s a real fear with a real name – it’s called nomophobia and more than one in four Australians have admitted they have this dread of disconnection. This research, commissioned by Huawei to celebrate the launch of Huawei Watch 2 which can take its own 4G SIM card, shows that 28 per cent of Australians said leaving their phones behind could ruin their day. And 26 per cent confessed they couldn’t feel themselves and found it hard to function without their phone by their side. Nomophobia is defined by…

Episode 264 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast, hosted by editor Stephen Fenech, is coming to you from the Samsung Galaxy Note8 launch in New York. On this week’s show, we’ll share our hands-on review of the Note8, the offers and plans from the telcos and we chat with Samsung Australia’s director of IT and Mobile Garry McGregor. In the Tech Guide reviews, we take a look at the Nest smart home products, the Huawei Watch 2 which has its own 4G SIM card and the smartest barbecues in Australia. In the Tech Guide Help Desk, we answer the question…

Kobo has released its latest ereader – the AURA H2O Edition 2 – which has a number of improvements so you can keep reading at any time of the day or night. And it’s still waterproof so you can also read anywhere. The refreshed ereader has a 6.8-inch anti-glare E Ink display so reading in direct sunlight will be no different to reading a printed page. It is a great size that can be comfortably held in one hand. Another new feature onboard is ComfortLight PRO which reduced the blue-light spectrum so if the page-turner you’re reading is keeping you…

Tile, the leading smart location company, has released a new version of its popular Bluetooth trackers that have increased range and are now twice as loud so you’ll never leave anything behind. There are two new devices in the Tile Pro Series – Tile Style and Tile Sport – which are now available in Australia. These new products work with the new Tile app and set up a link between the Tile and your item and can alert you when that Bluetooth link is broken. It will also provide the last known location of that object and see it on…

While smartwatches are nothing new, a smartwatch which can take a 4G SIM card and operate independently from your phone is – and that’s exactly what you get with the new Huawei Watch 2. Until now a smartwatch was at the mercy of the phone it was attached to because it needs to piggyback the connection to run apps and relay notifications. That’s not an issue with the Huawei Watch 2 because it can take a 4G SIM card and connect to the cellular network on its own even when you leave your phone behind. You’ll need to get a…

Nest is a big name in the world of smart home devices and it has landed in Australia to offer customers safety and security with its range of connected and intelligent devices. Tech Guide took a look at the Nest products – and it was almost over before it began. Now you’d think it would be pretty simple to register your email and password with the service. Whenever we did, we were sent an email to that address and had to click on a link to verify our email. Fairly straightforward you’d assume. Well, you’d be wrong. We tried all…