Author: Stephen Fenech

The Two Blokes Talking Tech, Stephen Fenech (Tech Guide editor) and Trevor Long (EFTM) are back for Episode 270 where they take a fun and informative look at the biggest tech stories. On this week’s show, the attack of the drones with GoPro and Parrot announcing new drones, the Samsung Note7 issues – what does this mean for the company and the blokes share their thoughts about the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. We also take a look at the Laser sub-$30 Bluetooth headphones and, in the minute reviews, run our eye over the Braven 105 portable Bluetooth speaker…

Remember Marty McFly’s amazing self-lacing Nike sneakers from Back to the Future II? Well, Nike will start selling the real thing for the first time later this year. Great Scott!! In the 1989 film Back to the Future, we see the Nike shoes with power laces when Marty McFly and Doc Brown’s find themselves in the year 2015 after a trip in the time-travelling De Lorean. The Nike HyperAdapt 1.0 is here and it’s real and customers will be able to buy them on November 28. The self-lacing shoes work with an internal cable system that wraps your foot and…

Samsung Australia has confirmed replacement stock of the Note7 will be available from today along with a software update to ensure the smartphone is safe to use. Customers who chose to replace their Note7 instead of asking for a refund can now contact their place of purchase where they returned the device to check when their new device will be available. Samsung says customers will receive a brand new in the box Note7 – and not the device they returned after a safety check. Samsung released a statement today: Samsung Electronics Australia can confirm that all replacement stock for old…

Apple’s latest operating system for the Mac – macOS Sierra –  has a wealth of new features and it is now available to all users to download and install for free. Even the name has changed. No longer will Mac software be referred to as OS X – instead it will be called macOS. But what is continuing with this version is the naming convention of Californian landmarks. We’ve had Mavericks, Yosemite and El Capitan. This year we have Sierra. To install macOS Sierra go the Mac App Store and click on Featured. You should see macOS Sierra with the…

Episode 217 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast, hosted by editor Stephen Fenech, is available now so you can stay updated and educated about the latest tech news and reviews. On this week’s packed show: GoPro unveils a new range of products which include two new connected action cameras and a drone, is it best to buy a smartphone outright or start a two-year contract and Uber announces a new feature – Scheduled Rides. In the Tech Guide reviews, we take a look at the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, the Incipio ClamCase for the iPad Pro 9.7 and…

The notion that wireless headphones have to be expensive has been completely blown out of the water by Laser which has just introduced a sub-$30 pair of Bluetooth foldable headphones. With all the attention on Apple removing the headphone jack on the iPhone 7, these new Laser Bluetooth Wireless Foldable headphones will be welcomed as an easily affordable alternative to cable earphones. Priced at just $29.95, they connect wirelessly to your smartphone, tablet or laptop and provide accurate bass and dynamic range. They have a universal fit for adults and children and feature soft ear cushions for comfortable wear for…

GoPro has unveiled Karma – the company’s very first drone along with all-new connected Hero5 cameras and services that will make it easier than ever to capture and share your videos. The new GoPro products were revealed at a special event in Squaw Valley in California near Lake Tahoe by GoPro founder and CEO Nicholas Woodman. “With these new products, we’re delivering on our promise to make it easy to capture and share engaging stories,” said Woodman. “We’re stoked to launch Karma and show how much more it is than a drone. Karma packs Hollywood-calibre aerial, handheld and gear-mounted image…

LG has launched a brand new smartphone – the X Power – that will tick two of the biggest boxes for customers – it’s affordable and it has a battery that will last all day and all night. Available exclusively at JB Hi-Fi stores, the LG X Power has a massive 4,100mAh battery which is actually 50 per cent larger than the battery aboard the LG Nexus X. That longer life battery means you can do a lot more on the move – surf the web, post to social media sites, play games and enjoy content – for a lot…

If you want to take your music anywhere – and we really mean anywhere – then what you need is a portable waterproof speaker like the new and versatile Braven 105. The Braven 105 is a circular palm-size Bluetooth speaker that measures 9.65cm across and is 3.55cm thick and with an IPX7 rating so it can handle the bath, the shower, the pool and the beach. But what makes you want to take this speaker anywhere is the handy mounting strap. It lets you attach the Braven 105 anywhere – your backpack, your bike or yourself – so you can…

OK you’ve downloaded iOS 10 on your iPhone or iPad or thinking about it – or better still you’ve just got yourself a shiny new iPhone 7 – so here are the cool hidden features of the operating system. We already know about the topline features of iOS 10 – new messaging features, enhanced Siri, Maps and Lock Screen plus lots more. But there is a surprising number of interesting features that you might not be aware of. And those who haven’t installed iOS 10 you can find instructions on how to do it here. READ TECH GUIDE’S iPHONE 7…

The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus went on sale across Australia today, one of the first places on earth where eager customer could get their hands on the eagerly-awaited device. At Apple’s flagship Sydney store in George St the line of waiting customers snaked around to the next block. The people at the very front of the line starting queuing three days earlier and had to endure a downpour early this morning before the doors of the store swung open at precisely 8am. And with the time difference, Australians were able to purchase the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7…

The iPhone 7 is here and it might be wearing the same outfit but it certainly has some significant improvements across the board to make an already excellent device even better. The biggest changes for the iPhone and iPhone 7 Plus are under the hood with a new home button, a vastly improved camera, a brighter display, improved performance, longer battery life and a water resistant design. There’s also double the memory – 16GB to 32GB, 64GB to 128GB and the top model has gone from 128GB to 256GB. The enhanced performance in terms of speed and graphics performance with…

Canon has just unveiled its brand new mirrorless camera – the EOS M5 – which has all of the convenience of a compact camera while still offering the performance of a DSLR. It is the first EOS to include Canon’s latest DIGIC 7 processor along with a 24.2-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor and Dual-Pixel CMOS AF for high quality results. The Canon EOS M5 offers an alternative for photographers thinking about a mid-level DSLR. The new DIGIC 7 offers improved image processing power so there is less noise in your pictures and more detail. The 24.2-megapixel sensor – which is similar…

Uber, the popular ride-sharing service, is OK when there are drivers in your area and you’re not in a hurry but now a new service – Scheduled Rides – means you can get a ride when you want. From today in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth you can schedule your ride 30 minutes or up to 30 days in advance. Uber says Scheduled Rides was the most requested feature from riders to provide that added certainty that a driver will available when you need it especially for those early morning trips to the airport. To organise a scheduled ride, simply…

The new iPhone is released tomorrow and there will be a lot of customers who will be jumping in to a new two-year contract. But is this the right move to deliver the best value and keep up with our changing needs? Economist John de Ridder, commissioned by mobile service provider Amaysim, doesn’t think so. He says customers should consider the real cost of locking themselves into a two-year contract. “The opportunity cost – or the value of what you’re actually giving up by signing up to a two-year contract – is just too high,” he said. “Because you’re committing…

Apple has released the new iOS 10 software for the iPhone and iPad that adds a host of new features including enhanced messaging, an all-new lock screen as well as improved Siri and Maps. So even if you’re not buying the new iPhone 7 this week, you can still have that new iPhone feeling with your existing device with the impressive iOS 10 update. You can install iOS 10 on your device if you’re using an iPhone 5 or later, and iPad Mini 2 or later, iPad fourth generation or later and the iPod Touch sixth generation. OK, here’s how…

Episode 216 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast, hosted by Stephen Fenech, is right here for you to stay updated and educated about the biggest tech news stories and reviews. On this week’s show, we take a look at the iPhone 7 – the new features and the ones Apple has taken away and answer all of your questions. We also talk about the new Sony PlayStation 4 consoles coming our way and chat with Netgear CEO Patrick Lo about the new Orbi system and the state of Australia’s internet with the NBN rollout. In the Tech Guide reviews we…

Everyone knows the iPad Pro is a powerful device and it’s only a keyboard short of taking over from your laptop. Incipio has now provided that keyboard with the ClamCase which is also a protective case and stand in one. You can take full advantage of the iPad Pro’s power and increase your productivity, with the ClamCase which has a full backlit keyboard so you can use it anywhere. The compact and light ClamCase is made from aluminum and polycarbonate so it can provide sturdy protection for the iPad Pro and handle the day to day bumps and scrapes. The…

Electronics retailer JB HI-Fi has acquired The Good Guys chain of home appliances stores for $870m but the two brands will still continue to trade in their own names. The Good Guys CEO Michael Ford made the announcement to his staff today and assured them the deal won’t affect how the company operates. “Joining forces with JB Hi Fi makes enormous sense from every standpoint,” Mr Ford told staff and suppliers. “We are bringing together two iconic Australian retail brands that both have tremendously strong and loyal customer bases. “Our position and track record in home appliances is matched by…

What got the most attention with the launch of the new iPhone 7 wasn’t what was added to the device but rather what was taken away – the 3.5mm headphone jack. But are we really going to miss it? During the presentation showcasing the iPhone 7’s features, Apple Senior Vice President Phil Schiller said it took a lot courage to delete the jack that has been around for a century. Whether you rolled your eyes at that statement or if you completely agree – one thing we can all agree on is that it took a company like Apple to…