Author: Stephen Fenech

To celebrate Australia Day, the Microsoft Store in Sydney is introducing a limited-edition inflatable Xbox One S controller so you can really make a statement at your next pool party. Replicating the popular Xbox One S controller, the inflatable is a larger than life replica that you can use to lounge around the pool. And like the real thing, there are two thumb sticks for added grip and support along with two drinks holders so you can have a drink handy for those hot days. Last year, Microsoft released a limited-edition Xbox One S onesie but this year’s offering is…

Tune in to Episode 232 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast, hosted by editor Stephen Fenech, to stay updated and educated about the latest tech news and reviews. On this week’s show, we’re back on home soil but still have lots to talk about from the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas including the EHang 184 drone that can carry a passenger, the Star Wars Battle Drones, the Catspad – the smart way to look after your cat and the wearable e-skin. We also chat to Hisense’s Andre Iannuzzi about the company’s new ULED 4K TVs that are heading to…

Wouldn’t it be great if a new-born baby could talk to you? With the Listnr smart microphone that’s now possible by using a voice recognition engine that can translate the sounds a baby makes. On display at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the Listnr device was created by Cerevo andcan be attached to a baby’s cot or simply placed nearby. The baby voice recognition engine, which was co-developed by Panasonic, can translates an infant’s noises into different categories of sound – laugh, cry, coo, growl, babble – after just five seconds of listening. And the results are then displayed on the…

The Bose SoundSport Pulse wireless earphones make it possible to listen to your music in high quality while you’re exercising and you can also monitor your heart rate as well. The Bose earphones have had re-design since the last model and now have a different shape and are slightly larger. And despite being announced months ago, the Bose SoundSport Pulse earphones release was delayed to recheck the sweat proof quality of the product. Bose went back and gave the product a thorough once over, and when it was satisfied it would meet the high expectations of its customers, the SoundSport…

The launch date and pricing for Huawei’s latest flagship Mate 9 smartphone, which has a 5.9-inch display and an all-new intuitive user interface, has just been announced. The device will be available through Optus, Vodafone, JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman and other authorised retailers. It will be available on February 7 and will be priced at $999. Tech Guide got its hands on the Huawei Mate 9 at the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. On the design side, the Mate 9 continues the strong looks of the Mate family with a soft sand blasted texture and a precise unibody…

There were drones of all shapes and sizes at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas but there were none bigger than the autonomous EHang 184 which is big enough to fit a passenger. Ehang 184 was just a prototype when it was on display at last year’s CES but since then the company has begun thorough testing in China. The eco-friendly vehicle is basically designed for autonomous flight so a passenger can simply enter their destination and land there a short time later. It is designed for short to medium length transportation. The smart point-to-point flight will automatically carry…

The kitchen has become smarter than ever with the announcement of advanced new Whirlpool products that makes preparation, cooking and even recycling easier. Unveiled at the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Whirlpool’s Smart Home line-up includes new Scan-To-Cook microwaves and ovens and the Zera Food recycler. Whirlpool’s smart kitchen, and also its upcomimg smart laundry products, will be powered by Amazon’s Alexa voice control so users can interact with the appliances just by talking to them. You can tell the oven to turn on and set at a certain temperature, adjust the cooking mode or ask your fridge…

B&O Play has released a new member of its impressive family of audio products – the Beoplay M5 – which is a wireless multi-room speaker that offers impressive design and excellent sound.  In typical B&O Play style, the M5 speaker is designed to blend in with your home’s décor. The company says the device also doubles as a “design object” which can be completely controlled from your smartphone. Beoplay M5 is covered with premium and acoustically transparent wool-blend fabric from Danish high-end manufacturer Kvadrat. The speaker itself is made from anodised aluminium with the top of the product acting as…

HTC has released a standout new smartphone called the U Ultra that offers a refreshing and sophisticated approach to design and that gets to know you and your habits over time. There are two models – the U Ultra with a 5.7-inch display and the U Play with a 5.2-inch screen. It has what HTC calls a liquid surface so it reflects and transforms light and was achieved with a new colour bonding process so the glass is evenly molded at high pressure around the sides and edges. It will be available in three colours – white, black and blue.…

Linksys has launched a new modular home wi-fi system called Velop – a tri-band system that can be installed in various configurations to suit the shape of your home or office. Each Velop node is about 18cm tall and has a foot print that’s 88 per cent smaller than an average router. It is a powerful Tri-Band AC2200 device with each able to act as a router, range extender, access point or bridge. The vertical design also helps performance with the antennas in the middle and top of the unit. Cables are also hidden away in the base so there…

If you’re a cat lover, you’ll now be able to take even better care of your pet with the Catspad which is a smart pet assistant that can monitor your cat and help them stay healthy. The Catspad looks like a pod with a large opening to place food and water inside. The idea of the product is to monitor and control the amount of food and water your cat consumes and keep track of their consumption history. You’ll also get a notification when the stocks of food and water are getting low. With Catspad and the companion app, owners…

All Star Wars fans love watching the dogfights between the iconic ships in the film. Well how would you like to create your own aerial combat? You can with the new Star Wars Battle Drones from Propel. There are three models – a TIE Advanced X1, a T-65 X-Wing fighter and a 74-Z Speeder Bike – that are quite detailed and painted by hand like a model. The only difference is it has four propellers and its ability to fly at up to 58km/h with a range of 60m. The drones have clear blades so they look invisible while they’re…

If you suffer allergies or have other sensitivities, it’s important to know the air quality around you. That’s now even easier with Flow – the mobile personal air quality tracker – which was unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Flow can help users understand, monitor and lower their exposure to air pollution whether you’re inside or on the move. The device works with a companion app that helps you check your surroundings and map the air pollution around you. According to a recent study air pollutants from car exhausts cause more deaths in the US each year…

It seems everything is getting smarter as we saw at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. And that now includes our clothing as we saw with the smart e-skin apparel from Xenoma. The company’s skin-tight smart shirt can be worn like a regular garment and it has 14 sensors that monitors the wearer’s motions. The e-skin is made with printed circuit fabric so it can be integrated into traditional textiles and be able withstand extreme and repeated movements. It can be used for gaming, sport and fitness and healthcare with the SDK (software developers kit) being made available to…

Episode 231 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast, hosted by editor Stephen Fenech, is an extended Consumer Electronics Show special edition as we wrap up the world’s biggest tech trade show. This week we kick off the show with a chat with Consumer Technology Association president Gary Shapiro as he reflects 50 years of CES and then talk about LG’s major announcements including that dazzling Signature OLED W that can be mounted like wallpaper. We hear from LG Australia’s head of marketing Angus Jones. Also on the show, Samsung and Sony’s new TVs and connected appliances and Netgear’s CEO Patrick…

Samsung has announced its Gear family of smartwatches, including the recently released Gear S3, and the Gear Fit2 will now be compatible with the iPhone after the release of Gear apps for iOS. Samsung has confirmed the Gear S2, the Gear S3 and the Gear Fit 2 will work with iPhones running iOS 9 and above. The Gear S and Gear Fit apps are available to download from Apple’s App Store so Samsung’s devices can now be paired with the iPhone. The apps will work with the iPhone 5, iPhone 5, iPhone 5C, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6S,…

It’s 10 years ago today that Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the Apple iPhone. It was a product that caused a seismic shift in the tech world and turn the mobile market on its head and completely changed it forever. It was Macworld 2007 in San Francisco and Jobs took the stage to talk about three products – a wide screen iPod, a mobile phone and an internet communications device. But when the device was revealed to be just one product called the iPhone – the crowd went nuts and the world was never the same again. I was watching…

Netgear has unveiled a range of new products at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas which are designed to maximize your home wi-fi speed and put it to use all over your home. CES was filled with connected products from TVs and audio systems to appliances and robots but these devices require reliable connectivity for them to deliver on their functionality. Which is where Netgear comes in. The company realises the strength of the home wi-fi network is more important than ever before. To that end Netgear has unveiled the Nighthawk Switch and the Nighthawk X10 router which can…

Two Blokes Talking Tech, Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long, are coming to you live from Las Vegas at the Consumer Electronics Show to discuss the latest products and announcements. On this show, the blokes talk about what they saw on the stand on Day Two and Day Three of CES including all the new offerings from Netgear, a look around the Sony booth and Whirlpool’s solution to recycling your food scraps. Also on the show, Telstra’s idea of deploying drones with built-in mobile cells, the jackets designed to carry all your gadgets and why we got…

One of the most talked about products at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this year has been without a doubt LG’s Signature W OLED TV that can be mounted like wallpaper. Tech Guide took a hands-on look at the head-turning TV, which will be available in 55-inch and 65-inch sizes, on the LG booth at CES where crowds gathered around the TVs on display and marveled at their svelte design and remarkable picture quality. The screen is just 2.57mm thick and, when positioned on the wall with a magnetic mount, it extends from the wall just 4mm. That’s…