Author: Stephen Fenech

Apple has introduced a bold new model of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus – the (PRODUCT)RED Special Edition – which allows anyone who purchases it to contribute to the Global Fund to combat AIDS. Apple has enjoyed a 10-year partnership with (RED) and the new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are the latest products to be offered in this distinct red colour. Apart from the new red colour, these new iPhones are identical to the current iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus models in terms of specs, size and camera quality. These new (PRODUCT)RED iPhones go on…

If you want to stay updated and educated about the latest consumer tech news and reviews then you need to tune in to Episode 241 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast, hosted by editor Stephen Fenech. On this week’s show, we round up the rumours ahead of the launch of the highly-anticipated Samsung Galaxy S8 flagship smartphone, look at the new way to make tap and go payments with your sunglasses and talk about the new TAG Heuer smartwatch. In the Tech Guide interview, we chat with D-Link’s Australian general manager Greame Reardon about the company’s 30th anniversary and the…

How much does it take to really shock an Australian mobile customer? A fair bit according to the latest research which shows users only experience bill shock when it’s more than four times higher than their regular plan cost. A Finder study of more than 2000 people showed that almost one in four (23.5 per cent) have experienced mobile bill shock – that’s the equivalent of more than five million Australians – in the last two years. And of these people, more than a third has received a bill of $200 or more. That’s a massive overspend when you consider…

Stan is literally taking off in the coming weeks with news that Qantas will be offering the subscription video on demand service to its passengers with in-flight wi-fi before the end of the month. Qantas is flicking the switch on wi-fi connectivity for its fleet of its domestic aircraft in the coming weeks The first aircraft enabled with wi-fi and offering Stan to its passengers will be a 737 that will take to the skies before the end of March. Passengers on that flight will not only have access to Stan onboard the aircraft but access to the service with…

Independent gaming developers are about to get a massive shot in the arm thanks to Apple’s decision to create a dedicated page for indie games on the App Store. Apple launched the dedicated location for new and favourite indie titles a few days ago to spotlight some of the best games available – and there are many Australian titles to choose from which can be played on the iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch and the Mac. These include Duet Game by Melbourne indie game studio Kumobius and Crossy Road by Melbourne’s Hipster Whale. Other local favourites include Hulabear by…

Panasonic’s highly-anticipated Lumix GH5 – the company’s flagship single lens mirrorless camera that’s just as powerful shooting video as it is capturing stills – will go sale in April. The Lumix GH5 has a number of innovations and world firsts including being the first consumer digital camera to offer 4K 10-bit 4:2:2 and 25 or 30fps (frames per second) video recording to an SD card. Lumix GH5 also has a 20.3-megapixel sensor and 5-axis Dual IS 2 for excellent stabilisation. Panasonic’s Lumix GH5 has been designed with the needs and demands of the professional photographer and videographer in mind. It…

Let the Two Blokes Talking Tech, Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long, walk you through the biggest tech stories of the week in Episode 291 of the popular podcast. On this week’s show, Samsung unveils its QLED TV range – and the pricing, Telstra improves mobile blackspots in rural areas and battery dramas with headphones and an iPhone. The blokes also talk about Norton’s tips for parents and children about online bullying and the new TAG Heuer smartwatch. In the minute reviews we check out the Razer Blade gaming laptop and the Sol Republic Amps Air wire…

Prestigious watch maker TAG Heuer has released its second luxury smartwatch – the TAG Heuer Connected Modular 45 – which combines the company’s Swiss heritage with the latest technology. Intel is once again collaborating with Tag Heuer for the Connected Modular 45 to allow users to stay connected without compromising style. TAG Heuer’s Connected Modular 45 has a 1.39-inch AMOLED touchscreen display with sapphire cover glass and is encased in durable titanium. The watch is available in satin or polished grade 5 titanium. It also has 4GB of onboard memory and is water resistant The all-metal watch has wi-fi, Bluetooth,…

The countdown is on to the launch of Samsung’s new Galaxy S8 smartphone which will take place in New York later this month and the rumours about the device have gone into overdrive. With the dust just settling from Samsung’s Note7 issues and recalls, all eyes will be on the electronics giant to see what it comes up with next. The Galaxy S8 needs to be a home run and, if the rumours are to be believed, it is on track to be a hit. Battery issues aside, the Note7 was an advanced product that included an iris scanner so…

Australians have embraced tap and go contactless payments on average more than any other country so it makes sense we’ve created the latest way to pay – with our sunglasses. Australian start-up Inamo unveiled WaveShades – the new contactless payment sunglasses at the South by Southwest (SXSW) alongside global payments giant Visa. Inamo came up with the idea for the sunglasses and provided the NFC (near field communication) chip. Inamo founder Peter Colbert, a former agent to many international surfing stars and an avid surfer himself, thought of the contactless payment sunglasses after a surf with his friends in Manly.…

If you’re after a powerful laptop that allows you to play games and run demanding applications and look good doing it, then the new Razer Blade will tick all the boxes. The Razer Blade has a 14-inch display – available in full high definition or 4K – and is powered by the 7th Gen Intel Core i7 quad core processor. Also under the hood is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 graphics processor for amazing performance in high definition when playing games. And it’s also ready for immersive VR ready games and up to three times faster than the previous generation…

It’s the last sort of wake-up call you’d ever want – especially on a plane but that’s exactly what one Australian passenger received when her headphones exploded mid-flight. Two hours after take-off, the noise cancelling headphones the woman was wearing exploded. “As I went to turn around I felt burning on my face,” the unnamed woman told the Australia Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB). The explosion singed the woman’s hard and her face was covered in black soot from smoke and sparks coming from the headphones. Her worst injury was a burn which left her with blistered skin on her hand.…

Ditching the cables is a growing trend with earphones – even the cable between the earpieces – and Sol Republic has joined the movement with its Amps Air earphones. After Apple and HTC removed the headphones jacks from their smartphones, more customers are on the lookout for this type of product. The Sol Republic Amps Air are truly wire free earphones with each earpiece connecting wirelessly to each other and to your mobile device. The Amps Air can be used to hear your music, make and receive calls and access Siri if you’re using an iPhone. They’re also sweat and…

Samsung has announced the pricing and availability of its new QLED range of smart TVs that offer better picture quality and an all-new user interface to make them even easier to use. There is new technology under the hood for the Q9, Q8 and Q7 panels that make up the range to offer greater brightness, more accurate colour expression and an elegant design. At the heart of the new TVs is Samsung’s Quantum dot alloy material that allows the panel to produce deeper blacks, improved clarity and colour accuracy. This Samsung QLED range is also the world’s first TV to…

On Friday, it’s the National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence and security company Norton is marking the occasion by offering parents and children tips to protect themselves against cyberbullying. Norton research has shown three in four men and women under the age of 30 have experienced some form of online harassment. “The National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence reminds Australians of the importance for all members of our society to recognise the lasting impact online bullying has on both men and women,” Norton security expert Nick Savvides said. “No longer does the ‘they’ll be right’ attitude…

It’s time to lend us your ears to get updated and educated about the latest tech news and reviews with Episode 240 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast, hosted by editor Stephen Fenech. On this week’s show, how the fitness industry and personal training will change with artificial intelligence, tracing your family tree is now a lot easier with the internet and DNA technology and we chat with Netgear’s Damir Skripic about the new Arlo security camera range. In the Tech Guide reviews, we take a drive in the Volvo S90 and check out the onboard technology, we run our…

In a world where more and more smart devices are popping up, the latest initiative might put personal trainers out of business with an intelligent cognitive coaching platform. The initiative is a partnership between Technogym and IBM and the goal is to create a “human-like” virtual coach which can interact with people using natural language. The platform’s aim is to provide personalised training programs that are created to meet their goals and conditions like weather, heath conditions, food intake and work situation. The idea is to blend IBM’s Watson cognitive computing and IoT (internet of things) technology with Technogym’s cloud-based…

If you’ve thought about tracing your family tree it’s a great time to start thanks to sites like Ancestry which has a number of ways to find your relatives including submitting your own DNA.  And this week Ancestry is offering a discount to celebrate St Patrick’s Day with 30 per cent off the AncestryDNA kit – a saving of $45. That offer is available until Sunday March 19. Irish Australians have quite a heritage in Australia and have made an impact on our country’s history and culture. The Ancestry site provides many resources for subscribers to trace their family history.…

Volvo has always had a great reputation for safety with its vehicles but the launch of the new prestige vehicle – the S90 – they’re also making a name for themselves with in-car technology as well. Tech Guide got behind the wheel of the Volvo S90 D5 diesel two litre, four cylinder, four-door sedan. And while the car drove superbly and is luxuriously appointed and elegantly designed, it was the technology that caught our interest. Technology, connectivity and convenience are deciding factors for customers when choosing one car over another. And the Volvo S90 certainly delivers in those areas. At…

Power. We all need it to keep our smartphones and tablets charged on the go and a battery is handy if we have no access to a power point or the time to keep it plugged in to the wall. Laser has a range of portable power banks to suit all types of users and situations. They all come with USB ports as well as Lightning, microUSB and 30-pin connectors for older smartphones. And they’re all designed to be compact and lightweight so you can easily take them with you anywhere. Now you won’t be caught with a dead smartphone…