Author: Stephen Fenech

We’ve had 4K and Ultra HD TVs for years but now we’re about to get our first taste of true 4K content with the release next month of hit film The Revenant on 4K Ultra HD Disc. The Revenant will be 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment’s first day and date release of the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray version of a film along with the DVD and Blu-ray Disc versions on May 18. The film, starring Leonardo DiCaprio in his Oscar-winning role, was inspired by true events about an explorer left for dead in the wilderness before battling through treacherous terrain…

Samsung is already a dominant force in Android smartphones and Android tablets and it has just set its sights on reaching the top in the Windows 10 tablet category with the Galaxy TabPro S. The 12-inch device has been released at a time when customers are looking to the latest tablets to take on the role as their laptop as well. We’ve seen products that tick the boxes in this “super tablet” category including Microsoft’s Surface Pro 4 and Apple’s family of iPad Pros. Samsung has become the latest player in this segment with the Galaxy TabPro S. It’s an…

Bang & Olufsen is a name synonymous with two things – exceptional design and excellent audio quality and that’s exactly what you get with the company’s latest product – the BeoPlay A1. The A1 is the smallest speaker in the BeoPlay family and has a 24-hour battery life plus a built-in speakerphone for hands-free calls. BeoPlay A1 Bluetooth speaker measures just 13.3cm across, 4.8cm thick and weighs just 600g. It has an impressive Danish design with a contoured aluminium dome which is light yet sturdy. It also has a soft leather strap to make it easy to carry with you…

Sony has released its 2016 range of 4K HDR (high dynamic range) series of Bravia smart TVs which build on the company’s remarkable screen technologies to deliver an amazing viewing experience. Tech Guide had an opportunity to get up close to these latest Sony televisions which feature slim designs and remarkable backlighting technologies for added brightness and better contrast and clarity. And with HDR onboard that expands the limits of the screen even further and showcases content as it was meant to be seen. HDR is designed to allow brighter whites and blacker blacks and the ability to see all…

The Australian tablet market has dropped for the second year in a row but its due for a resurgence in 2016 with Microsoft and Apple fighting for the top spot with high end devices. The Telsyte Australia Tablet Market Study 2016 has revealed tablet sales in 2015 reached 3.1 million units. That’s down from the 3.8 million devices sold in 2014. But despite this 18 per cent downturn, Telsyte says the market is set to pick up dramatically as customers look to higher end tablets that have the power and versatility of a laptop. And even though there were less…

Microsoft is retiring the popular Xbox360 console – 11 years after the product introduced players to incredible next generation gaming and established exciting game franchises. The company has stopped manufacturing the console so existing stock in stores around the world will be the last remnants. But this won’t affect the Xbox One, Microsoft’s flagship console and direct competitor to Sony’s PlayStation 4, which will remain with new titles supporting this platform. The Xbox 360 made its debut at E3 (Electronics Entertainment Expo) in 2005 (this writer was at that launch event) in 2005 and it created a huge buzz in…

LG’s new G5 – the sleek new smartphone with a modular design – will go on sale in Australia next month along with its collection of companion accessories called “LG Friends” The device will be available from May 2 through Optus stores and retail partner Harvey Norman and on May 3 through Telstra Stores. The LG G5 will be priced at $1,099 for outright purchase and also available on plans. LG’s G5 is the world’s first smartphone with a modular design that delivers a metal unibody design but with a removable battery. The base of the G5 detaches and gives…

Episode 251 of the popular Two Blokes Talking Tech podcast, with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long, is available now to dissect the biggest tech stories. On this week’s show, the battle were fighting against cyber criminals, will the HTC 10 put the company back on the map and the rumours are building about the latest bank that may offer Apple Pay. Also on the program, Spotify stats on who’s listening to The Beatles, the Kindle Oasis and the minute reviews where we take a look at the Fitbit Blaze and the Sony Extra Bass Bluetooth speakers.…

Apple has updated its popular Macbook –  the thinnest and lightest Mac the company has produced – with the latest Intel processor, an even longer battery life and a new rose gold finish. The Macbook will now ship with the sixth generation dual-core Intel Core M processors running at up to 1.3Ghz with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.1Ghz. Also onboard is a new Intel HD Graphics 515 processor which delivers up to 25 per cent faster performance along with faster PCle-based flash storage memory so apps and files open faster. There is now also 8GB RAM standard on all…

The most avid users of smartphones are younger users who are enjoying a lifestyle their delicate devices often can’t keep up with but the new Alcatel Go Play can put those worries at ease. The Go Play is a 5-inch Android smartphone with a rugged construction that also happens to be waterproof. In typical style, Alcatel has produced a feature-packed product that is well-designed, packed with features and fun to use. And at $299, it is extremely affordable as well. Design-wise, the Go Play has a clean look and feel. The front of the device is all display – a…

Getting hold of two Lumix cameras to trial at once – the GF8 and the TZ110 – doesn’t happen very often and when it does it leads inevitably to comparisons. So here goes. First, the similarities. They are both pocket-sized cameras. The TZ110 more so. I much prefer the TZ110’s built-in lens cover and lens that comes to life when you power on the camera, as opposed to the GF8’s clip-on lens cap and the need to physically enable the 12-32mm lens with a twist after powering the body. A small matter, really, but if you hate chasing lens caps…

Episode 195 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast, hosted by editor Stephen Fenech, is a comprehensive look at the latest tech news, reviews and opinions to keep you updated and educated. On this week’s show, are you Australia’s biggest mobile phone hoarder and the alarming increase in online threats and cyber-crime and what you can do to protect yourself. We also talk to Audible’s Australian managing director Matthew Gain about the growing Australian appetite for audiobooks. In the Tech Guide reviews, we take a look at the Fitbit Blaze smart fitness watch, the Sony Extra Bass Bluetooth speakers and the…

There’s lot of smart products out there – phones, TV, watches and cars – but the latest smart device that’s been revealed is called Peggy. It’s the world’s smallest clothes peg. Peggy is an Australian product designed to lighten the laundry load and free up time in our already busy lives to do the things you really want to do. So how does it work? Peggy connects to your home’s wi-fi network and tells you the best time to do the washing according to the weather. It might look like an ordinary peg but the onboard technology can monitor temperature…

iPad and iPhone owners – what’s one thing your devices don’t have? Answer: a microSD card slot.  Lexar has come to the rescue with a new microSD reader with a Lightning connector. The small and easily portable Lexar device now makes it possible for users to transfer content like photos and videos on and off their iPhone or iPad. It’s also handy if you have a microSD card full of your favourite content or if you want to transfer footage and images from an action camera or a drone. The Lexar reader works with a free file management app that…

Heard any good books lately? That’s a question more and more Australians are asking as we embrace the 21st century trend that blends literature and technology – audiobooks. According to research by Audible – the world’s leading provider of audiobooks – more busy Australians than ever are turning to listening instead of reading books. And it’s growing at triple digit rates year on year. The ability to hear a book instead of using your eyes to read means we are also multi-tasking. We can now hear our books while we’re doing other things. Audible’s study revealed some interesting facts about…

Fitbit has become a household name when it comes to activity trackers and bands but the company has decided to move into smartwatch territory with release of the Fitbit Blaze. Fitbit Blaze takes everything they perfected in their other wearable devices and builds on them with additional features like a heart rate monitor and multi-sport modes. And it’s bigger – it’s a watch. After being used to seeing smaller Fitbit devices and displays, having the extra screen real estate with the Blaze was a nice change. DESIGN The Fitbit Blaze is a square module that fits inside a metal frame…

There are a lot of Bluetooth speakers on the market but it’s hard to find a device that ticks all the boxes in terms of sound quality, features, design and durability. The Sony SRS-XB3 is one of those speakers. The Sony SRS-XB3 (XB is short for Extra Bass) is a rugged speaker with a compact design that can be used indoors and outdoors. It is 21.1cm long, 8.3cm wide and 8cm high and weighs 930g. The device also has an IPX5 rating which makes it water resistant to poolside splashes and the rain. With all of the controls are on…

Are you a mobile phone hoarder? According to recycling program Mobile Muster you probably are. There are now more old devices rattling around in our drawers than there are people in Australia. New data just released by Mobile Muster indicates there are more than 25.5 million old mobiles cluttering our homes. And four million of these are broken and no longer working. So why are we holding on to these old mobiles? Mobile Muster says there is still quite a gap of awareness around mobile recycling which, when combined with our hoarding behaviour, has created an incredible build-up of old…

Amazon has just unveiled its thinnest and lightest ever Kindle e-reader – the Oasis – which has been completely redesigned to deliver an even richer and more convenient reading experience. The device weighs just 131g and is just 3.4mm thick at its thinnest point – that’s 30 per cent thinner on average and more than 20 per cent lighter than any other Kindle the company has produced. What makes the Oasis so lightweight is its polymer frame construction which is plated with metal so it is not only light but strong as well. The new Kindle also has an ergonomic…

When Dyson decides to update one of its products, you know there’s been major improvements inside and out and the new Cinetic Big Ball vacuum is no exception. Once again Dyson has taken a look at the frustrations of cleaning with a rolling barrel vacuum cleaner and eliminated them one by one. Dyson’s engineers rethought all of those pain points and the result is the Cinetic Big Ball vacuum. With a regular barrel vacuum, it doesn’t always follow you and sometimes they tip over. Not so with the Dyson – it is a self righting vacuum which means no matter…