Author: Stephen Fenech

Do you love cooking barbecue ribs, pulled pork and brisket?  Now that process has just gone high tech with the Green Mountain Grill which has a built-in wi-fi controller Whether you’re cooking a 12-hour brisket or pork shoulder, the whole process just got a lot smarter. The Green Mountain Grills communicate wirelessly with your smartphone via a mobile app so you can monitor the grill remotely whether you’re inside entertaining your guests or out walking the dog. The Sense-Mate technology can maintain the ambient temperature along with the air and pellet flow so you know your food will be grilled…

The Samsung Galaxy Note8, which was unveiled in New York this week, is now available for pre-order and there are already lots of attractive plans and offers from the telcos. The Note8 will be welcomed by fans of the brand who were disappointed with the demise of the Note7 which was discontinued after battery issues. Samsung’s new Galaxy Note 8 has 6.3-inch Infinity Display with a dual lens camera and an improved S Pen which has even more features and abilities. SAMSUNG HITS THE RIGHT NOTE WITH THE GALAXY NOTE8 TECH GUIDE’S HAND’S ON LOOK AT THE SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE8…

We use them every day and they’ve now become a signature way we communicate on social media – we’re talking about the #hashtag – and it turned 10 years old this week. It was used for the first time on Twitter on August 23, 2007 by Chris Messina (@chrismessina) to bring a group together. The first hashtag was #barcamp when Messina suggested in a tweet: how do you feel about using # (pound) for groups. As in #barcamp [msg]? And the idea caught on and is now one of the most recognised symbols in the world. Since then the hashtag…

Episode 312 of the Two Blokes Talking Tech podcast with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long is coming to you live from New York at the Samsung Galaxy Note8 launch. The blokes were at the Samsung Note8 launch at the Park Avenue Armory in New York and they discuss the new device’s new features, pricing and availability. Also on the show, Stephen and Trevor chat about Huawei – they were in China the week before at the smartphone and mobile network company’s campus in Shenzhen and the testing labs in Beijing. Next up, the most affordable iPhone…

Tech Guide has taken a hands-on look at Samsung’s new Galaxy Note8 smartphone – a worthy follow-up to the ill-fated Note7 – and we were immediately impressed with its versatility and power. Last year’s Note7 was an excellent device and our review of the product reflected that feeling at the time. Unfortunately for Samsung and its legion of a loyal users, it was plagued by defective batteries and turned a flagship product into a dangerous one. We are really happy to see Samsung hasn’t given up on its Note smartphone –  and the surprisingly high number of loyal Note users…

A year ago Samsung’s Note smartphone brand was all but dead when the troubled Note7 was discontinued after explosive battery issues. But now it has been reborn after Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Note8 in New York. The Note7 issues cost Samsung billions and tarnished its otherwise spotless brand. But Samsung has shown it isn’t a company that gives up easily and the new Note8 is proof. It is a powerful new smartphone aimed at the user who wants to get things done – whether that’s completing tasks and juggling documents, running two apps side by side, consuming the latest content…

Hisense has just released its premium lineup of smart TVs –  the 65-inch Series 8 and the 75- inch Series 9 ULED displays – which are now available from major electronic retailers across the country. Hisense has made some tremendous inroads in the Australian market by offering quality televisions with a long list of features at attractive prices. These new Hisense 4K UHD ULED TVs offer enhanced picture quality, HDR (high dynamic range) along with easy access to streaming content including Netflix and Stan. The Series 9 is also the brightest TV Hisense has ever produced. “At Hisense, we’re committed…

Anki, the Silicon Valley robotics and artificial intelligence company, has arrived in Australia to launch three new products to provide incredible interactive experiences for users of all ages. The new products include Cozmo – small robot with a big personality, Anki OVERDRIVE –  an intelligent robotic battle racing system and Anki OVERDRIVE: Fast & Furious Edition –  based on the hugely popular film franchise. They are available to preorder from today through JB Hi-Fi and Australian Geographic. Anki OVERDRIVE: Fast & Furious Edition can only be pre-ordered from JB Hi-Fi. These products blend the power of robotics and artificial intelligence…

Five months after the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ went on sale, Australians will finally have access to the voice capabilities of the on-board intelligent assistant Bixby to take control of the device just by talking to it. From today, anyone with a Samsung Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8+ will be able to install Bixby by pressing the dedicated Bixby voice key on the left edge of the device. Users can also access Bixby by swiping right from the home screen and following the   update prompts. Once installed users can activate Bixby by holding down the dedicated button or by…

Lend me your ears if you want to stay updated and educated about the latest consumer tech news and reviews with Episode 263 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast hosted by editor Stephen Fenech. On this week’s show, we take a look behind the scenes at the Huawei campus and testing labs in China, Vodafone reinvents its mobile plans to include a new phone with no lock-in contract and Panasonic combines a 4K disc player and recorder in one product. In the Tech Guide reviews, we check out the Oppo R11 smartphone, the Samsung MS750 soundbar and the Beoplay E4…

You might not be able to pronounce the company’s name but Huawei (it’s actually pronounced Hwa-way) is one of the biggest telecommunications companies in the world. Consumers know it makes high-quality smartphones but an even bigger part of its business is not so visible – the network the world’s smartphones connect with. Tech Guide got a chance to visit the Huawei campus in Shenzhen and its testing labs in Beijing to get a glimpse behind the curtain and see what powers the company ranked number three in the world smartphone market. And that number three position is right on the…

This week Samsung will launch its new Galaxy Note8 smartphone in New York almost exactly a year after the ill-fated Note7 went on sale before being discontinued after battery defects caused fires and explosions. You can rest assured the Note8 won’t be suffering such a fate. Samsung has learned a lot from the disastrous Note7 experience and has put in place numerous safety checks to ensure the issues with the doomed smartphone don’t occur again. Samsung got back on its feet in fine style when it unveiled the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ back in March. These devices were instant…

The mid-tier in the smartphone market is really hotting up and it’s all thanks to devices like the new Oppo R11 which is offering numerous top shelf features at a lower price. Oppo’s R11 is a smart looking device with an excellent front and rear camera and fast charging which gives you two hours of extra use after just five minutes’ charge. Priced at $649, the Oppo R11 is designed to attract a customer that doesn’t want to pay more than $1,000 for a smartphone but still wants a decent device that will offer them impressive features and performance. It…

Adding even more punch to your home entertainment just got a lot easier with the Samsung Series 7 MS750 Soundbar Sound+ which is an all-in-one unit that will sound like you’ve got speakers everywhere. Tech Guide sat down to take a look at the MS750 which was connected to a Samsung 65-inch TV. The soundbar is sleek and unobtrusive – it’s not going to get in the way of what you’re watching. You’ll forget it’s there after a while but you’ll definitely hear it and make you enjoy what you’re watching even more. Now you could go out and buy…

Panasonic has just announced its latest 4K UHD player and high definition recorder so you can enjoy the highest quality entertainment and record your favourite programs with one product. The Panasonic DMR-UBT1 combines a 4K Ultra High Definition Blu-ray player with a twin HD TV tuner for full definition recording. Onboard is a 2TB hard drive that can fit up to 1,370 hours of HD TV recordings. “This unique new model provides Australians with incredible quality and convenience through the brilliant viewing experience of 4K as well as the versatile smarts of Panasonic’s Full HD Recorders– all in the one…

Today a GPS system can’t just give you turn by turn navigation – it has to do more and Navman has recognised that with the new Drive Duo which includes a full high definition dash cam to be your eyes and ears on the road. The Drive Duo has a 5-inch screen and gives users the best of both worlds. It is a premium GPS navigation system which includes safety alerts and live traffic updates. The device is also a fully-fledged dash cam with full HD 1080p recording with a 140-degree lens to capture your surroundings in the event of…

Samsung has just released the T5 – latest version of its portable SSD (solid state drive) which can offer even faster read and write speeds and keep your data safe and secure at the same time. Ideal for mobile professionals and anyone else who wants to carry and transfer large amounts of data, the Samsung T5 SSD is smaller than a credit card and made from durable shock resistant aluminium frame with a weight of just 51g. There are no moving parts onboard the SSD so it can withstand a drop of up to two metres. Samsung’s T5 SSD works with…

If you want to stay updated and educated about the latest consumer tech news and reviews then you need to listen to Episode 262 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast hosted by editor Stephen Fenech. On this week’s show: iPhone 8 rumours are reaching fever pitch, Sony releases its first Bravia 4K OLED TVs and the glasses that can help you avoid digital eye strain. In the Tech Guide reviews, we check out the Hisense Series 7 ULED TV, the Nokia 6 Android smartphone and the latest Kensington range of computer accessories. In the Tech Guide Help Desk we talk…

Noise cancelling headphones are quite common but a good pair of active noise cancelling earphones are a lot harder to find but the new Beoplay E4 can definitely fit the bill. The Beoplay E4 bring with them not only the company’s distinctive style and design but some pretty impressive technology under the hood as well. The earphones themselves are nicely sculpted from lightweight aluminium and sit comfortably in your ears creating a secure fit so they’re not going to fall out too easily. The soft foam ear tips also play a part in that comfort level so you can wear…

Australians love technology especially when it comes to smartphones but we’re also guilty of losing them or damaging them beyond repair, according to a recent study by Finder. In the last five years Australians have lost or destroyed more than 2.5 million smartphones. That equates to 1,370 devices per day. Finder’s survey spoke to 2,005 Australians with one in 10 admitting they’d broken at least one device beyond repair in the last five years. Another six per cent said they had lost their phone altogether. The worst offenders are millenials with more than a quarter (26 per cent) misplacing or…