Author: Stephen Fenech

For those who love to take selfies there is a new smartphone case from Monster that helps make that practice easier and all you need is a flat surface like glass, a mirror or acrylic. The Monster Selfie Case has a patent pending design and looks like a regular case but with one exception. The rear flat panel of the case is made from a special gel material that, when pressed on to a mirror, glass or acrylic, sticks to that surface so it can be positioned to take your selfie. It can also be used to position your smartphone…

Tech Guide had a chance to take a closer look at the LG Signature products at the Consumer Electronics Show –  in particular the 4K OLED TV and the refrigerator that lets you see what’s inside without having to open the door. These products were the among the highlights of the LG press conference in the eve of CES and we had a chance to get up close with the products on the LG stand at the Las Vegas Convention Centre. LG SIGNATURE 4K OLED TV The LG stand was jam packed full of attendees who all had the same…

There are countless new gadgets that are released at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas with many designed to improve health, fitness and beauty or all three. Not surprisingly there was no shortage of these devices designed to help you look better, feel better and sleep better. The companies behind these products are among many others around the world who see an opportunity in the marketplace where people are looking to technology to improve their appearance and their health. Here are some of the health and wellness gadgets Tech Guide discovered at CES: SKULPT’S CHISEL People hit the gym…

Two Blokes Talking Tech with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long have recorded their second podcast from the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. In today’s Episode 238.2, the blokes talk about the announcements from Press Day and from Day One of CES. We take a look at LG’s offerings, Hisense’s TV strategy, Samsung new line of TVs and other new products and driverless cars. Also on the program, Fitbit’s new smartwatch, Casio’s go anywhere smartwatch, Stephen’s Star Wars geek moment before he checked out the latest audio products from Philips and Onkyo and App Store records…

Casio has entered the smartwatch space with the WSD-F10 – a device that not only offers the smarts but a number of outdoor features and a rugged design which means you can take it anywhere. Most of the smartphones on the market are too delicate to go anywhere near water or be worn on treks, mountain climbs or during other outdoor activities. But with the Casio WSD-F10 smart outdoor watch, which was introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, that’s not an issue. It’s water resistant to 50m and has military grade construction to handle drops, vibration and…

Apple customers around the world have combined to make the Christmas and New Year period the biggest ever for the App Store and setting new records. In the two weeks spanning the holiday season up to January 3, users spent more than $US1.1 billion dollars on apps and in-app purchases. In fact, January 1, 2016 was the biggest day in App Store history with customers spending more than $US144 million. The previous biggest day was just a week earlier on Christmas Day, 2015. Gaming, social networking and entertainment were the most popular app categories in 2015. The launch of the…

If there is one place where you’re likely to find new and quirky gadgets it is the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas where a lot of unusual products are introduced to the world. It’s appropriate these gadgets are seen for the first time in Vegas. For these companies it’s their first big roll of the dice for a product they’ve been working on for years. Will it they hit the jackpot? Will it be a flop? CES Unveiled – the preview event before the show proper – is filled with these products that are all hoping to be the…

Samsung has outlined its vision for a connected home on the eve of the Consumer Electronics Show and also unveiled new products including SUHD TVs, the first Ultra HD Blu-ray player, a smart fridge, an updated Gear S2 smartwatch and the Galaxy Tab S2 Pro tablet running Windows 10. SAMSUNG’S INTERNET OF THINGS The Internet of Things is still very much Samsung’s focus with the company announcing a renewed commitment to make our every day lives easier. Samsung’s SmartThings platform is being used by more than 20,000 IoT developers. To help keep the promise all of Samsung’s TVs being IoT…

FitBit, one of the best known brands in the activity tracker market, has now entered the smartwatch arena after unveiling its Blaze device at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The Blaze has a colour touchscreen, a heart rate monitor and it can link up to a smartphone and relay notifications as well as control audio playback on your mobile device. It is the first FitBit device to boast a colour screen and it will take replace the FitBit Charge HR when it is released in March. The FitBit Blaze doesn’t have its own GPS capability but, like the…

Episode 238 of Two Blokes Talking Tech with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long is coming to you live from Las Vegas for the Consumer Electronics Show. The blokes will be recording a podcast on each day of the massive tech show with this episode recorded after CES Unveiled on the eve of the main show where a lot of smaller companies showcase their quirky new products. On this show, Stephen and Trevor take a look at their favourite devices which include a device to prevent motion sickness, a flexible action camera that can wrap around anything,…

LG has kicked off the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in stunning fashion with a new Signature range of products that includes the latest 4K OLED TV, a high tech refrigerator, washing machine and an air purifier. LG has introduced the Signature brand extension to bring the company’s best technology and best designs together. The design concept was to make the product appear more intuitive while maintaining a pure and clean look. LG SIGNATURE 4K OLED TV The LG Signature OLED TV is a leap forward in design with the company taking its OLED TV technology to the…

The promise of a smart kitchen has been a long time coming but it might finally be here thanks to some innovative products from a company called Smarter that can be used in the fridge, in the pantry and even in the oven. The product range, which was revealed on the eve of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, includes Mats, Fridge Cam and Detect that are designed to be your eyes and ears in the kitchen – even when you’re not at home. All of these products have wi-fi on board and can link back to an app…

Ford has expanded its tech footprint in its new vehicles with an expanded SYNC system to bring drivers Apple’s CarPlay, Android Auto as well as 4G LTE for true mobile connectivity. The goal for Ford with SYNC was to bring smartphone technology safely and easily to the vehicle and it is already in use in more than 15 million cars today with that number estimated to jump to 43 million by 2020. From this year, owners of a Ford vehicle equipped with SYNC 3 will have more choice in how they connect their smartphones. iPhone users can activate CarPlay and…

Alcatel OneTouch, Australia’s third most popular smartphone manufacturer by volume, is expanding its tablet portfolio which will be spearheaded by the PIXI 3 – an 8-inch device running Window 10. Set to be unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas for the first time, the PIXI 3 is an entry level 8-inch tablet and the company’s first to offer the latest Windows 10 operating system. It is powered by s Qualcomm processor and will have 4G LTE connectivity onboard alongside other features like a TV remote control, GPS and front and rear cameras. The PIXI 3 can also be customised…

The iPad is only a keyboard short of being laptop and the BrydgeAir accessory is as close as you’ll get to turning the popular tablet into an even more versatile device to use for work or play. The BrydgeAir keyboard is made of the same anodised aluminium as the iPad so it matches perfectly and turns the iPad Air or iPad Mini into a smart little computer. And it’s available in silver, space grey and gold to exactly match your iPad’s colour. The BrydgeAir keyboard has a patented 180-degree hinge which is lined with soft silicone so it can gently…

KitchenAid, the iconic appliance brand, has partnered with Nespresso to create a new portioned coffee machine that delivers both in terms of looks and performance. Nespresso by KitchenAid has retro looks and charm with a die-cast metal construction that comes in Onyx Black, Candy Apple Red, Medallion Silver and Almond Cream. For this new product, KitchenAid brings to the table its high quality craftsmanship and attention to detail. It is 33cm tall and 20.8cm wide so it’s going to take up a fair bit of space. And this doesn’t include the separate Aeroccino milk frother which can be positioned anywhere…

Security is one of the most important aspects of the modern home and VTech has cleverly incorporated smart monitoring features into its new VS150 Twin DECT6.0 Cordless Phone. The VS150 has VSmart wire-free home monitoring that can keep you updated with notifications from the sensors positioned around the house. The unit comes with two contact sensors which can be attached to any door, window or gate. The VS150 can pair up to 30 sensors including garage door sensors and motion sensors which are sold separately. As a cordless phone the VS150 has a main base station with an answering machine…

Storage is more important than ever in this digital age with our mobile devices and computers and SanDisk has released a new solution to make it even faster and easier. The SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD (solid state drive) is small enough to fit in your pocket and go with you anywhere. It is just 7.5cm square and about 1cm thick and is available in three capacities – 120GB, 240GB and 480GB. There’s a metal ring on the edge of the SanDisk Extreme 500 Portable SSD so you can clip it to your bag and always have easy access to your…

Christmas had come and gone for another year but now is the time when some people need to head back to the shops for an exchange or refund. So what are our rights as a customer? Australian customers are protected by the Australian Consumer Laws and this means you are entitled to a refund, repair or replacement if the product you purchased doesn’t match the description, doesn’t do what it says it can do or just doesn’t work. “Retailers are known for trying all manner of tricks to dance around your basic rights,” says Choice spokesperson Tom Godfrey. “From displaying…

The Beatles music catalogue has finally been approved for release on major streaming services around the world – just in time for Christmas with Beatles fans celebrating this huge gift. Rights holders Apple Corps Ltd and UMG made the announcement on the Beatles website yesterday. From today you can stream the entire Beatles catalogue on various streaming services including Apple Music, Spotify, Deezer, Google Play Music, Tidal and Slacker Radio. It will be available for both free and paying customers. The Beatles’ arrival on streaming services has been a long time coming. The super group’s iconic music collection was only…