Author: Stephen Fenech

One thing nearly all of us admit we need to do is get organised. The Smorgasbord Sovende can help you do just with your stuff and your gadgets as well as keep them all charged we well. Sovende can sit by your bedside or any other convenient spot in your home where you put your stuff like your wallet, phone, glasses, watch and wearables. It is made from two interlocking bamboo panels that form a stand for your mobile devices and a hang space for a watch or fitness tracker and a slot for your wallet or purse. Assembly takes…

Samsung has confirmed there were two Galaxy Note7 smartphones in Australian that had suffered from the battery cell issue which has forced a global recall of the flagship device. In a statement, Samsung said there were two Australian cases include an incident in Perth which was reported by a Victorian customer. Samsung has sold 51,060 Note7 smartphones in Australia with only two known cases of the battery cell issue. Globally there were more than 2.5 million sold with 35 reported cases. In response to these reports, Samsung initiated a “pro-active” and “voluntary” recall of the Galaxy Note7 in Australia and…

It’s time to get updated and educated about the latest consumer tech news, reviews and issues with Episode 215 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast, hosted by Stephen Fenech. On this week’s show, everything you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy Note7 recall and what it means for customers, the products we can expect to see at the Apple event this week and the biggest news to come out of the IFA tech show in Berlin including products from Samsung, Sony and Lenovo. In the Tech Guide interview, we chat to Judd Armstrong about his earphone company Jaybird and…

Apple’s event in San Francisco kicks off in less than two days and there has been plenty of speculation about what will be unveiled.  We take a look at the products and features you can expect to see. Apple’s CEO Tim Cook will take the stage at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium at 10am September 7 local time – that’s 3am Thursday Australian Eastern Standard time – and start his keynote with a bit of an update on how well the company is doing. He will probably talk about iPhone sales, iPad and Mac sales and Apple Watch sales and…

Samsung Australia says its recall of the recently released Galaxy Note7 in response to isolated battery cell issues, is “proactive” and “voluntary”. “The safety and ongoing satisfaction of our customers is our top priority,” said Richard Fink, Vice President IT & Mobile, Samsung Electronics Australia. “We know our Galaxy Note7 customers are our most loyal customers and we are taking a proactive approach to support them.” Samsung revealed it is voluntarily recalling the 51,060 Galaxy Note7 smartphones sold in Australia. In a statement released last night, Samsung says customers who want a refund can act right now and return to…

For those who love exercise and the great outdoors, Garmin has introduced two new products you’ll love – the Forerunner 35 GPS running watch and the VIRB Ultra 30 action camera. Garmin’s mission is to provide users with data about their workouts and adventures and a way to capture the moment like never before. The Forerunner 35 and VIRB Ultra 30 looks like they’ve got all of those bases covered. They will be available in stores later in September. GARMIN FORERUNNER 35 – $299 This Forerunner 35 has a screen that’s 23.5mm across and, thanks to the built-in GPS, it…

Samsung’s global recall of its new flagship Galaxy Note7 couldn’t have come at worse time for the electronics giant and it could be a body blow to its position as the number one global smartphone brand. While Apple unveils its new iPhone in a few days, Samsung will be dealing with a massive recall of the Note7. In this competitive market, the battle at the top end of town has always been between the giants Apple and Samsung. Samsung has about 24 per cent global market share with Apple sitting on about 15 per cent. The battery issue of the…

Father’s Day is nearly here – and you still haven’t bought your Dad a gift? Lucky for you we’ve put together a last minute gadget gift guide of tech products we’re sure your old man will love. But what do you get for the person who has everything? We thing you can’t go wrong with a tech gift because there are so many choices. So forget the sock and undies, here’s a range of tech gifts that cover categories like audio, smartphones, computers and other gadgets. Here are our last minute gift ideas: BOSE QC35 NOISE CANCELING HEADPHONES – $499…

Electronics giant Samsung has ordered a global recall of the recently released Galaxy Note7 smartphone after discovering a battery cell issue that may have caused some devices to explode. Yesterday Samsung halted sales of the smartphone both at the retailer and telco levels before releasing a statement explaining the situation. Since the Note7 went on sale on August 19, the company has sold more than 2.5 million devices. And as of yesterday (Sept 2) there had only been 35 reported cases of battery issues. Samsung described the problem as a “battery cell issue”. The cases include devices exploding while it…

Samsung has confirmed there is a problem with the Galaxy Note7 battery and is offering Australian customers a refund until the issue is resolved just hours after removing the smartphones from stores after reports of the device’s battery exploding. The device was removed from retail store shelves but Samsung says to date there have been no reported cases in Australia. Samsung issued a statement late on Friday evening after the first incidents of batteries exploding were reported earlier this week in South Korea. “Samsung is committed to producing the highest quality products and we take every incident report from our…

Sony Mobile and Huawei have debuted new powerful and attractive smartphones at the IFA tech show in Berlin with Xperia XZ and the Nova series respectively. Sony Mobile’s Xperia XZ is the company’s new flagship device and has a 5.2-inch glass display with metal back and loop design so it sits nicely in your hand. Also onboard is a 23-megapixel camera which can go from standby to capturing your snap in 0.6 seconds. Under the hood of a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor and an optimised battery system with adaptive charging. And to top it all off the Xperia XZ is…

Sony has decided to play to its strengths with its newly revealed high-end audio products at IFA in Berlin with the Signature Series which includes headphones, Walkman and headphone amp. Sony is well known for its audio engineering excellence and these products are designed to provide discerning audiophiles with superior high resolution sound quality. But they aren’t cheap. All of Sony’s Signature Series products have taken an unconventional approach to design to produce the best possible acoustics with premium materials. The new range includes the MDR-Z1R Hi-Res Audio headphones, WM1 series Walkmans and a Hi-res Audio headphone amplifier. MDR-Z1R HI-RES…

There have been plenty of attempts at combining a tablet and laptop but Lenovo has come up with a new product – the Yoga Book – that takes an entirely new and innovative approach. The device, unveiled at IFA in Berlin, has two panels that are hinged together. On one is a 10.1-inch display and on the other is what appears to be a giant trackpad. But it is actually a touch sensitive panel like a Wacom tablet that can be used to digitize writing and drawings on the screen. Users can also place a piece of paper on the…

Two Blokes Talking Tech Episode 268, with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long, is right here to give you a fun and informative look at the hottect tech stories of the week. On this week’s show, Trevor is in Berlin for IFA and we discuss Samsung’s new Gear S3 smartwatches and the other products that have been unveiled. Also on the show, we talk about the upcoming Apple launch event and what we can expect to see apart from a new iPhone, the NBN’s ambitious rollout plan, Apple Pay’s battle for expansion in Australia, the latest Fitbit fitness…

Every Star Wars fan has always dreamed of having the Force. But now Sphero has just released a wearable called the Force Band which is about as close as we’re going to get. The Force Band can be used to control Sphero’s other hit product – the beloved BB8 droid from Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Usually you can control BB8 using the companion app buy now you can wear the Force Band and use Force push, pull and drive to steer it around. To celebrate the release of the Force Band, Sphero has also released a battle-worn version of…

Wireless has become the way to go when it comes to earphones and Jaybird – one of the first brands to realise this trend 10 years ago – is just about to launch its new Freedom Wireless buds in Australia. Jaybird is already a major player in 34 countries and in the US it is fourth behind Beats, Bose and LG. But what many don’t realise is that Jaybirds is actually an Australian company and was founded by Australian entrepreneur Judd Armstrong. Armstrong started the business in 2006 with a goal to get rid of the headphones cables connecting to…

Samsung has unveiled the latest addition to its smartwatch family with the Gear S3 – a device that combines traditional timepiece design with the latest mobile technology. The product has IP68 water resistance and also offers 4G LTE connectivity, built-in GPS and it can also be used to make mobile payments. Unveiled on the eve of the IFA tech show in Berlin, the Gear S3 comes in two styles – Frontier and Classic. The Gear S3 Frontier has a rugged look that can be used in any setting whether it’s in the gym or in the office. The Gear S3…

Fitbit, the No 1 global wearable brand, has just released two new fitness wristbands – the Charge 2 and Flex 2 – that build on the strengths of the platform with new features and capabilities. The Fitbit Charge 2 and the Fitbit Flex 2 track your health, exercise and stats and also allow users to set goals and challenge their friends. Fitbit Charge 2 is the follow-up to the popular Charge HR – the company’s most successful product – and has a new design with a larger display and interchangeable bands. It retains the PurePulse heart rate tracking and now…

Episode 214 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast, hosted by editor Stephen Fenech, is available now for you to stay updated and educated about the latest consumer tech news and reviews. On this week’s show, iPhone security vulnerabilities exposed, iPhone 7 launch date announced and what can we expect to see, biggest broadband customer complaints, NBN’s bold plan to complete nationwide rollout and Ford unveils its new SYNC 3 in-car infotainment system. In the Tech Guide reviews, we check out the 360Fly 4K 360-degree camera, the TravelGuard products that can protect you from credit card skimmers and Garmin’s new fenix…

Apple has officially announced a launch event in San Francisco where it will end months of speculation and rumours and unveil the latest iPhone and its new features to the world. Invites were sent to the media with simply the words “See you on the 7th” with lights in the background forming the top of the Apple logo. The event will take place on September 7 at 10am at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium which is 3am on September 8 Australian Eastern Standard time. Apple is expected to stream the event live through its website and through Apple TV. So…