Author: Stephen Fenech

Which of the Two Blokes Talking Tech – Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech or EFTM’s Trevor Long – would most likely be on a CIA watch list? That’s one of the big questions we’re posing in Episode 290. In the wake of the Wikileaks’ data dump alleging the CIA’s ability to be able to spy on users through their smartphones, computers and smart TVs,  the blokes discuss whether we should be worried. And they also contemplate which of them is more likely to be on the CIA’s watch list. Also on the show, we wrap up the rest of the…

The mid-range smartphone market just got a little more crowded with the release of the Samsung Galaxy A7 – a device that inherited a lot of top-line features from earlier flagship Galaxy phones. Samsung didn’t announce a smartphone at the recent Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and the highly-anticipated Galaxy S8 won’t be available for at least another month. But Samsung released the Galaxy A7 to beef up the company’s mid-tier portfolio. And the good news is that a lot of the premium features of previous flagship devices have made their way into the A7. DESIGN The Samsung A7 has…

To stand or not to stand – that is the question. Standing desks are more popular than ever thanks to research that shows that sitting for extended periods can cause a range of health problems including obesity, diabetes and cancer. The average office worker spends on average five hours and 41 minutes seated, and usually it’s in front of a computer. Ergonomic standing desks are becoming all the rage with converts saying they feel more focused and energetic with improved blood flow and less back pain. But what’s the big deal about sitting down for long periods? Experts believe the…

There’s been lots of hysteria since WikiLeaks latest data dump yesterday which claimed the CIA could break into computers, phones and even smart TVs and spy on you. So should you be worried? The authenticity of the documents can’t be confirmed but they detail how the CIA have allegedly developed tools to break onto iOS devices – that’s iPhones and iPads – as well as Android devices. Computers running Windows were also targeted and supposedly the CIA could even listen in through Samsung smart TVs even while it appeared to be turned off. It should be pointed out that these…

If you need a part for your car you hope the manufacturer has it in stock or that it will only take a day or two to arrive. Ford has come up with a new option to produce the part with a 3D printer. The car company this week announced a new way to manufacture parts using the Stratasys Infinite Build 3D Printer. It is a room-sized machine that can produce parts of any shape and length and as large as a 6-foot rear spoiler. Ford is the first car maker to use the new 3D printing technology from Stratasys.…

If you love reading books you’ve probably already got a Kindle e-reader and may have already subscribed to Kindle Unlimited service but the service has now been updated to include audio books – at no extra cost. Amazon has announced customers can now enjoy listening to books from Audible audiobooks (which is also an Amazon company) as part of their Kindle Unlimited subscription which will remain at the $13.99 monthly price. Kindle Unlimited already provides customers with access to more than a million books including short reads and Kindle exclusives. And now there is unlimited listening to thousands of audiobooks…

At lot of people don’t realise that while public wi-fi is handy it can also be dangerous as well and expose all your personal information to hackers and cyber criminals. One way to protect yourself is with the Norton Wi-Fi Privacy application that can be used on a smartphone, tablet or laptop, The Norton Wi-Fi Privacy app was previously only available for iOS devices (iPhone and iPad) and Android smartphones and tablets to protect users from the dangers of joining a public wi-fi. But now Norton has updated Wi-Fi Privacy so it can now be installed on Mac and Windows…

Sonos has just introduced a new connected wireless home theatre speaker called PLAYBASE that sits underneath your television to provide quality sound for your shows and movies. The speaker was inspired by a simple statistic – 70 per cent of TVs are not wall mounted and rest on an entertainment unit. With this in mind, the company went on to design PLAYBASE – a speaker that’s just 5.8cm tall and packed with 10 drivers. Instead of taking up a lot of space in front of your TV like a soundbar, PLAYBASE has a smaller footprint and slides underneath the TV’s…

Tune in to Episode 239 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast, hosted by editor Stephen Fenech, to stay updated and educated about the latest new, views and product reviews. On this week’s show, we wrap up the rest of the news from Mobile World Congress in Barcelona including the dedicated smart network for IoT (internet of things) products including smart meters, smart sensors and even smart drones. Also on the program, Oppo unveils its new smartphone camera technology and we chat to Alcatel Australia’s managing director Sam Skontos about the new Alcatel A5 LED and the other brand he’ll be…

Fitbit has unveiled its latest device – the Alta HR – the world’s thinnest fitness wristband with continuous heart rate monitoring and advanced sleep tracking capabilities. Fitbit’s Alta HR was able to include the company’s PurePulse technology by reducing the chip size and the number of components. As a result, the Alta HR is 25 per cent thinner than the Fitbit Charge 2. Alta HR can provide continuous heart rate tracking so it can measure calorie burn more accurately including during non-step-based activities like yoga. Users are also now able to set real-time heart zones to figure out the right…

One major theme at last week’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona was IoT – Internet of Things – the growing industry where more and more devices can connect and interact with each other. This connectivity will help industries become more efficient, help us find a parking spot, steer a drone to make a delivery and monitor any number of things. The latest smart devices for these use cases will connect through dedicated parts of the cellular network like a mobile phone. There were two types of networks Tech Guide saw at Mobile World Congress –  Cat-M1 and NB-IoT (also called…

STM, the Australian designer of laptop bags, cases and accessories, has just unveiled its latest range of backpacks and shoulder bags so you can carry your electronic devices safely and in style. There are four new bags in the Streets Collection – the 22L capacity Kings backpack ($169.95), the 18L Banks backpack ($149.95), the 22L Judge shoulder bag ($99.95) and the Ridge sleeve ($59.95). As usual STM (which is also sporting a brand-new logo) has provided plenty of storage space in its bags with sections to house your laptop, phone and other items like chargers, cables, sunglasses and documents. There’s…

Having a projector opens up so many options if you’re looking for a big screen experience to enjoy your movies and games and great place to start is with the BenQ W1210ST full high definition projector. Whether you want to set up a home theatre for the first time or plug in a projector on the coffee table at the spur of the moment, the BenQ W1210ST can suit both use cases. This is helped by the fact the projector is really easy to set up and it offers great quality and value. The W1210ST has a 1920 x 1080…

Kogan Mobile has just announced it will be increasing the data allowances at no extra across its entire range of already great value mobile phone plans that are offered on the Vodafone network. Heavy data users are always on the lookout for plans that not only offer lots of data but that are not going to break the bank. Kogan Mobile has delivered on that promise increasing the data on its plans without increasing the price. The Kogan Mobile $29.90 Medium plan has gone from 3GB to 5GB and the $36.90 Large plan has moved from 8GB to 10GB. At…

Without a doubt one of the most popular devices to be unveiled at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona was the re-release of a 16-year old handset – the Nokia 3310 – and Tech Guide got its hands on it. The Nokia stand in Barcelona around the new 3310 was one of the most crowded places at the show. And this was despite the fact there were three brand new 2017 Nokia devices running Android right beside it. For those who remember the original 3310, the new version will give you a rush of nostalgia. It is virtually the same design,…

Tech Guide got its hands on the new LG G6 smartphone at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona which has been announced as a Telstra exclusive when it is released in the coming weeks. The device, which has a 5.7-inch display but manages to fit that inside a 5.3-inch body, will go on sale in Australia on March 28. Outright pricing is expected to be more than $1,000 while Telstra’s plans for the device are yet to be announced. The minute you hold the device in your hand you can see why LG has shoehorned such a large screen into a…

Telstra has launched a next generation service that will allow customers to make and receive mobile calls over wi-fi wherever there is an accessible wireless connection. Customers with the Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge will be able to enjoy native wi-fi calling as part of the Android 7.0 Nougat software update. This feature is expected to become a standard feature on smartphones which will be released in 2017. The devices can make and receive calls over wi-fi when there is a link to wi-fi at home or in public including more than 750,000 Telstra Air hotspots across Australia.…

Episode 289 of Two Blokes Talking Tech, with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long, is coming to you live from Mobile World Congress in Barcelona where the latest smartphones were unveiled. On this week’s show: Huawei makes the most of the occasion at MWC, BlackBerry attempts the comeback of the century with the KEYone and Samsung offer up two new tablets but no smartphones – for now. The Blokes also talk about LG’s G6 which offers a large screen inside a smaller body, Sony updates the Xperia range with premium features, Alcatel lights up your life with…

Oppo didn’t unveil a new device at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona but it did reveal new technology – the world’s first 5x dual-camera zoom for a smartphone. With photography now a central part of the modern smartphone, the ability for a device’s camera to produce good images can mean the difference between whether a customer decides to buy it or not. Oppo’s new technology took a year to develop and offers 5x dual zoom that is sure to be a part of the company’s upcoming smartphones. The ability to create a 5x optical zoom within the slim chassis of…

Alcatel wants to light up your life with a new smartphone with built in LEDs that activate when you listen to music and when you receive calls and notifications. Unveiled at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the Alcatel A5 LED has a back panel with LED lights that shine through the surface. Alcatel also announced the U5 and A3 5-inch smartphones and the PLUS 12 – a 12-inch Windows 10 tablet. ALCATEL A5 LED – $299 The Alcatel A5 LED has a 5.2-inch high definition display, an octa-core processor and 4G LTE connectivity. It also has an 8-megapixel rear camera…