Author: Stephen Fenech

Rogue One! Wow!! The first standalone Star Wars movie is a thrilling rollercoaster ride that will make you cheer, make you laugh, keep you on the edge of your seat and amaze you. This is a SPOILER FREE review – we will not give away any plot points or any information that you haven’t already seen in the trailer. Even if you have never see a Star Wars movie before, Rogue One is still an enjoyable experience that’s filled with excellent performances and special effects that will have you picking your jaw up off the floor. And if you are…

Apple’s highly-anticipated AirPods – revealed with the iPhone 7 in September – are now available online and will be in stores by next week and just in time for Christmas. With the iPhone 7 no longer sporting a headphone jack, Apple introduced AirPods which look like Apple regular earbuds – but minus the cords. There isn’t even a cable connecting each of the earbuds. The AirPods come with a charging case and are held inside with magnets. And to pair them, all you have to do is hold them close to the iPhone and you’ll see picture of the AirPods…

It’s Day 5 of the Tech Guide 2016 12 Days of Christmas gadget gift ideas to help steer you towards the right tech present for the right person on your shopping list. On this day, we’re presenting the products that will be in high demand this Christmas – tablets and e-readers. Tablets have become powerful enough to take the place of your laptop and provide amazing versatility whether you’re being productive or relaxing. And e-readers are more popular than ever especially in this holiday period when people have more time to read the latest bestsellers. Here is the full list…

If you want stay updated and educated about the latest tech news and reviews then you need to tune in to Episode 228 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast, hosted by editor Stephen Fenech. On this week’s show: how to stay safe while you’re doing your Christmas shopping online, Bluetooth 5 is coming to your next gadget but what can it do and the Amazon Go store with no lines and no checkout. In the Tech Guide reviews, we run our eye over the Samsung Gear S3 smartwatch, the GhostDrone 2.0 VR from EHang and the redesigned Apple Music app.…

It’s Day 4 of Tech Guide’s 2016 12 Days of Christmas gadget gift ideas to spark your imagination and come up with the ideal gifts to buy your loved ones this holiday season. Today we’re looking at a popular category and therefore a popular gift idea – Bluetooth speakers. These devices come in various shapes, sizes and prices so there is sure to be one – or two – that could make it onto your Christmas shopping list. Here is the full list of Tech Guide’s 12 Days of Christmas gift ideas. Be sure to come back to Tech Guide…

Apple has announced there are now more than 20 million paid subscribers to Apple Music just 18 months after the service kicked off with 3 million coming in the last three months. And more than 50 per cent of Apple Music listeners live outside the US in countries like Australia, Canada, China and South Africa. The service is also sporting an all new design and an easier way to navigate the menus to find exactly what you want. Apple Music has a library of more than 40 million songs which is a lot to choose from. Apple Music has a…

There’s still time to do your Christmas shopping online and receive your goods before the big day which is why today (December 12) will be busiest online and mobile shopping day of the year. eBay is one of the biggest online shopping destinations and it says more than 2.7 million people will visit ebay.com.au alone with 1.7 million doing so on a mobile device. That’s an increase of 11 per cent over last year with the peak periods expected to be between 8pm and 9pm on desktop and 9pm and 10pm for mobile visitors. During this period, there will be…

It’s Day 3 of Tech Guide’s 2016 12 Days of Christmas gadget gift ideas which is a great way for you to find inspiration and ideas so you can buy the perfect presents for your loved ones. Today we’re looking at wearables, activity trackers and smartwatches – which will be one of the most popular gift categories this Christmas. There are plenty of choices here to suit all kinds of users and many different budgets. Here are the Tech Guide 12 Days of Christmas. Make sure you come back to Tech Guide every day to see all of our categories…

It’s Day Two of Tech Guide’s 2016 12 Days of Christmas gadget gift ideas to give you the best ideas for the ideal presents for your friends, family and loved ones. Tech gifts are always a popular option and you can be sure the person who receives it will love it! Today we’re looking at digital cameras including action cameras and 360-degree cameras. Here are the Tech Guide 12 Days of Christmas. Make sure you come back to Tech Guide every day to see all of our categories and great gift suggestions. Day 1: Smartphones Day 2: Cameras Day 3:…

Bluetooth 5 has just been officially adopted as the latest version of the wireless technology by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) with significant improvements to performance and capacity. Expected to appear in the next wave of devices within two to six months, Bluetooth 5 will enable wider range, faster speeds and larger broadcast capacity. These new features will benefit Internet of Things (IoT) smart products with simpler and more efficient interactions between wireless devices. Bluetooth 5 will also maintain it low power functionality, will reduce the amount of potential interference and offer even more flexibility for developers. It will…

If you want to hear about the latest tech and have a laugh at the same time, you need to listen to Two Blokes Talking Tech Episode 280 with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long. On this week’s show, Amazon’s new high-tech supermarket with no lines and no checkouts, the scam AGL Energy emails that are delivering ransomware and our thoughts on the MacBook Pro. The blokes also talk about the Google timelapse satellite photos, Belkin’s new durable cables made partly from Kevlar and new stricter rules for P-Plate drivers. In the minute reviews, we check out…

Drones of all shapes, sizes and prices will be a popular Christmas gift this year but one model – the GhostDrone 2.0 VR – combines ease-of-use with virtual reality and high quality imagery. Distributed by RIISE in Australia, the GhostDrone 2.0 VR is manufactured by EHang and offers a new flying experience that can be enjoyed by more than one person. The drone is controlled through an intuitive smartphone app that works on iPhone and Android with 10 different easy-to-control flight modes. Also included is a virtual reality headset so a person not in control of the drone can experience…

Apple has just released its iTunes Best of 2016 list that highlights the international and home grown music, apps, books, movies, TV shows and podcasts that have captured our imagination. These lists cap an incredible year where we enjoyed some amazing content. The Martian – a story about an astronaut stranded on Mars, was our favourite movie with Games of Thrones Season 6 dominating our TV screens. In music, the top song of 2016 was 7 Years by Lukas Graham and the top album was Views by Drake. Apple has released two lists – its favourites of 2016 and the…

There are increasing reports of emails that appear to be sent from AGL Energy but are in fact scam messages that can install malicious software on your computer and hold your files to ransom. Tech Guide has been contacted by several readers in the last 24 hours about these bogus emails which claim to contain your latest bill. The messages have links to pay the bill or to see the details and if a person clicks on any of them the email will attempt to install ransomware. Users who don’t have up-to-date internet security software and a backup of all…

When you think of the tech products that suffer the most wear and tear, the USB charging cable has to be up there which is why Belkin has introduced a new durable cable that’s protected with Kevlar. Kevlar, developed by DuPont, is the same material used in bullet proof vests and crash helmets. Belkin and DuPont have partnered to come up with the ultimate durable cable – DuraTek – for iPhone and iPads users. The Lightning to USB cable is made partly from Kevlar strands which are woven into the outer layer of double-braided nylon to protect the wires inside.…

One of the biggest compliments I heard when I was wearing the new Samsung Gear S3 smartwatch was that it looked like a real designer watch. And that’s exactly what Samsung was going for. The Gear S3 was designed as a watch first before it was developed as a technology product so it would appeal as much to a watch lover as it would to a lover of technology. Samsung created two timeless designs – Classic and Frontier. Classic (which is the watch we reviewed) has a silver Sunray brushed finish, traditional style crowns and a classic leather band. Frontier…

Ladies and Gentlemen, lend me your ears for Episode 227 of the top-rating and informative Tech Guide podcast so you can stay updated and educated about the latest consumer tech news and reviews. On this week’s show, changes to the laws around mobile phone usage in the car for all P-Plate drivers, the malware that has infected millions of Google accounts and Apple announces a battery replacement program for the iPhone 6S. In the Tech Guide reviews, we take a look Apple’s latest MacBook Pro, the latest range of USB-C adapters and the new features for the Netflix app which…

There’s a fair amount of technology packed into the new Braun Series 9 that the company is calling the world’s most efficient electric shaver that’s gentle on your skin as well. The new Braun Series 9 is a linear shaver that is the result of years of research, development and engineering. Its technology is designed to adapt to your face and the patented Intelligent SyncroSonic cutting system adjusts to your beard 160 times a minute to capture more hair in one stroke than any other shaver. The shaver head generates 10,000 micro vibrations and 40,000 cross cutting actions per minute.…

Amazon has already changed the way we shop online and is in the process of revolutionizing the way we shop in physical stores with Amazon Go so there are no lines and no checkout. This checkout-free shopping experience is made possible by numerous technologies similar to that used in self-driving cars along with computer vision, sensors and deep learning. Customers simply walk into the store and the technology automatically detects what products they take or return to shelves and puts this information in virtual cart. Once you’ve got everything you need you simply walk out again without having to line…

USB-C is the new way to connect with the latest smartphones, tablets and laptops but these changes are often not compatible with our needs and existing devices – that’s why a USB-C adaptor can really come in handy. Apple’s MacBook and MacBook Pro and Samsung’s TabPro S are great examples of where these adaptors can come in handy to link to other devices and to transfer content. While USB-C is an exciting new format, there are still millions of people around the world using products with the USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 connections. They also want to link these USB-C…