Author: Stephen Fenech

Plantronics, a company that’s been in the wireless audio business for decades, has just unveiled its latest range of Bluetooth earphones and noise cancelling headphones that meet the needs of the modern customer. Plantronics is already a big player in the mobile communication business with its Bluetooth headset and in the gaming arena with its gaming headphones. Mobile entertainment – including these latest Bluetooth earphones and headphones – are the third pillar of the company’s business. With Apple removing the headphone jack from the iPhone 7, there has never been more focus on Bluetooth products. In fact, it is almost…

Episode 224 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast, highlighting the latest tech news and reviews to keep you updated and educated, is the 500th tech podcast recorded by editor Stephen Fenech. With 224 Tech Guide episodes under his belt and 276 episodes of his other podcast, Two Blokes Talking Tech co-hosted with EFTM’s Trevor Long – that adds up to the magic 500. On this week’s Tech Guide podcast, Google enters the world of virtual reality with the Daydream View, GoPro issues a recall for its just-released Karma drone and how you can bring Hollywood home with a JBL Synthesis…

Channel 7 has issued an apology to rugby league star Jarryd Hayne after the pornography mishap during a Norton online security demonstration at a Gold Coast school last week. During a demonstration about the dangers of an open network, Hayne’s phone was being used to show how easy it is to snoop whatever he has been looking at on his phone. Seconds later, another device joined the network and images from a porn site were displayed on the screen in front of students from Robina State High School. Yahoo!7, Channel 7’s online identity, published a story with the headline “Awkward!…

Storage – we always need it wherever we go and with every device we use. WD knows this and have come up with the My Passport Wireless Pro that makes things even easier. The My Passport Wireless Pro has wireless connectivity as well as an SD card reader onboard to allow users to upload content on the go and access it again just as easily from your other mobile devices and computers. The drive – available in 2TB and 3TB capacities – is smaller in area than a CD case (remember them?) at 12.6cm long and wide and 2.4cm thick.…

As a huge movie lover and fan of all things tech, I always had a dream to build a home theatre. I wanted a place in my house where I could watch movies in the highest quality and comfort. Today I have a JBL Synthesis system that puts a smile on my face every time I switch it on to watch a movie. But that isn’t where I started. When we built our new home I got the chance to create this space from the ground up. That was back in 2003 and, at the time, the best we had…

Belkin has introduced the Valet Charger Power Pack – a handy dual purpose accessory which can charge an iPhone and an Apple Watch at the same time on the move. The product, which was named as a 2017 Consumer Electronics Show Innovation Award Honoree, is a large 6,700 mAh portable battery which has a USB port to connect your iPhone with a Lightning cable. But what the device also features is a small circular magnetic charging module where you can charge the Apple Watch. And there’s enough juice on board to recharge an iPhone three times and the Apple Watch…

Huawei has shaken up the mid-tier of the smartphone market with the release of the Nova Plus which includes an impressive multi-curve design and an enhanced photography experience. The device has a 5.5-inch screen which includes a curved section of 2.5D glass so that it seamlessly meets the outside edge of the phone. It also has a curved sandblast polished metallic back panel so customers get a premium looking device at a mid-level price of $549. The Huawei Nova Plus has a 16-megapixel camera with optical image stabilisation with beauty mode onboard as well as the ability to shoot 4K…

Be sure to tune in to Episode 276 of the Two Blokes Talking Tech podcast, with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long, to hear out take on the latest tech news and products. On this week’s show, what the tech world will look like under a Donald Trump presidency, the Jarryd Hayne porn gaffe and the lessons we learned, drone controversy in Australia and the GoPro Karma recall. The blokes also talk about Android Auto which is now available to all drivers, Apple Pay coming to more banks but not the majors and Amazon launches the Kindle…

GoPro’s first attempt at a drone – the Karma – has been recalled barely weeks after it went on sale in the US over a performance issue that is causing the product to fall out of the sky. The GoPro Karma had been on sale for only 16 days when customers were shocked to see the drone lose power and drop to the ground. And with a camera attached to the product they were able relive the horror in 4K resolution. GoPro has acted quickly and instructed customers to return their Karma for a complete refund. On the GoPro website…

Google has taken a compelling step into the world of virtual reality with the new Daydream View headset that can transport users through a variety of incredible experiences. Following the successful launch of its Pixel smartphones, Google has created an ideal companion product. Naturally the Pixel fits perfectly into the Daydream View but there will be other smartphones running Android 7.0 Nougat that will work with it as well. DESIGN The Daydream View headset is nothing like other VR headsets on the market. For a start it is made of soft breathable fabric which makes it both lighter and more…

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare is probably the biggest departure from the previous iterations of the record-breaking franchise but it has literally taken a step that’s out of this world. The fact that Infinite Warfare is taking place in outer space might have hard core COD gamers a little confused but the good news is that it still has the same feel as the versions that have gone before it. The fact that this has a bit of a sci-fi flavour shouldn’t discourage players who have enjoyed the grittiness and gameplay of previous Call of Duty games. They’re all still…

The PlayStation Pro is available now and it takes your gaming and viewing experience to the next level with the ability to output 4K with HDR (high dynamic range) to make your content look better than ever. The high-end console will be able to play the latest 4K games and other 4K content like streamed movies and TV shows on a compatible 4K Ultra High Definition TV with HDR onboard. HDR helps display brighter whites and darker blacks and makes all the contrasting colours in between look even more vivid. And many of the current range of hit games like…

While the world comes to grips with the fact that Donald Trump has been elected President of the Unites States – the global tech sector is trying to work out how this will affect them. While Trump was campaigning he spoke out on a few tech issues and even called for a boycott on Apple until it allowed the authorities to crack a dead terrorist’s iPhone. The man who will become the leader of the free world also spoke about cyber security and even welcomed the Russians to snoop around Hillary Clinton’s controversial emails. But President-Elect Trump is a self-confessed…

Fitbit is a well-known name in fitness trackers and its latest – the Fitbit Flex 2 – is affordable, waterproof and easily customisable to suit your lifestyle or whatever you’re wearing. The Flex 2 is quite thin and light and one of the most unobtrusive trackers Fitbit has made. There is no screen – just LED lights that can indicate your daily steps. A simple double tap will awaken the device and let you know your progress. The device itself is actually a small module that can be popped out of the back of the band. It is tiny at…

The “all you can eat” subscription models we’ve seen with services like Spotify, Apple Music, Netflix and Stan has just been extended to books with the release of Kindle Unlimited. If you’re an avid reader, you can now read as many books as you want for a fixed monthly price. Subscribers can choose from more than one million eligible titles which can be read on any Kindle device or on the Kindle app on iOS or Android devices. Kindle Unlimited is available now and customers can start a free 30-day trial at www.amazon.com.au/kindleunlimited. After the trial the price will be…

Before today Android Auto would only work with the latest cars and audio systems but all of that has just changed with an update that will open it up to millions of other drivers. Now Android Auto will work right there on your smartphone’s screen and offer the same connected experience that you’d get on your car’s screen. The update means that anyone running Android 5.0 or higher on their devices using an interface that makes it easier to navigate for drivers. It will offer access to the apps you’ll need on the road like navigation, your music and your…

The top-rating Tech Guide podcast is back with a massive Episode 223, hosted by editor Stephen Fenech, to keep you updated and educated about the biggest tech news and reviews. On this week’s show, we talk to league superstar and Norton online security ambassador Jarryd Hayne shortly after his porn mishap at a Gold Coast high school. Also on the program, LastPass can now remember all of your passwords for you and we speak to Freeview CEO Liz Ross about the new Freeview FV app that allows you watch all of the free-to-air channels in one place. In the Tech…

The pornography gaffe involving Norton ambassador and league star Jarryd Hayne was embarrassing to say the least but what it did was actually dramatically demonstrate the online dangers we’re all facing. I was at Robina State High School on the Gold Coast at the invitation of Norton – our Tech Guide podcast sponsor – to see the session run by Norton’s Nick Savvides and co-hosted by Hayne. In the audience were about 200 students – ranging in ages from 12 to about 16 years old and a mixture of boys and girls. Hayne was greeted with applause and cheers when…

A cyber safety session with rugby league superstar Jarryd Hayne at a Gold Coast high school took an embarrassing turn when a demonstration about the dangers of open networks revealed pornographic images. Hayne, a Norton internet security ambassador, was participating in a demonstration showing his browsing history and images when another person joined the open wireless network and revealed a pornographic site. The Gold Titans superstar was shocked at the appearance of the images in front of the 200 students from Robina State High School on the screen while the Norton representative Nick Savvides hurriedly disconnected the network. Tech Guide…

Trying to remember all of our passwords is one of the most difficult tasks of our modern digital lives. In fact, it’s near impossible. But with LastPass that’s no longer an issue. How many times have you heard that you need a different password for all of your accounts? And that you should change them regularly? Security experts say your password should be like your toothbrush – you should change them regularly and don’t share them with anyone. But trying to remember them all – good luck. What most people do is re-use the same password across many of their…