Author: Stephen Fenech

Mastercard has laid out a bold plan that will transform the way we make payments including introducing biometric checkouts and numberless cards The company’s five year vision will address emerging threats, improve security and make the transactions frictionless. According to a AusPayNet, card related fraud in Australia reached nearly $1 billion in 2024. “This vision underscores Mastercard’s commitment to collaborating with our partners to bring the very latest in simple, secure, and seamless payment innovations to Australians around the country,” said Richard Wormald, division president, Australasia at Mastercard. “By ensuring that our technology evolves to meet both current and emerging…

Hit the road and listen to the latest episode of the popular show Two Blokes Talking Electric Cars – The EV Podcast – with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long. This week, Geely is yet another brand hitting the Australian market, so how will they price their cars? We talk to a Volvo owner who had considered a Toad but changed his mind. And a Hyundai Ioniq 5 owner who is learning fast now as an EV owner. Plus we discuss charger etiquette – how to respect others. If you’ve got a question about EVs or you…

To celebrate its 50th anniversary Microsoft has updated its Copilot platform to include new features to make AI even more useful and personal. Microsoft has gone well beyond its goal of putting a PC in every home and every desk in half a century and today it has bigger ambitions with its Copilot AI companion. Microsoft’s approach with AI is to make it more personalised and built around a user’s needs and values so it can meet and hopefully exceed their expectations. But the beauty of Copilot is that customers are using it in their own way and personalising it…

The Samsung 2025 range of OLED TVs have gone to another level with an AI-powered processor, improved brightness and the exceptional Anti-Glare technology. Tech Guide looked at the 83-inch and 77-inch Samsung OLED S95F. They were set up for us in in a large hotel suite in the Sydney CBD. The TVs were place beside large windows and downlights but the TVs showed hardly any reflection that would usually mar the viewing experience. The Samsung OLEDs are also available in 55-inch and 65-inch. But most of the interest from Australian customers is for the larger screen sizes. In fact, in…

Many people would not be aware that the air inside your home is worse than the air outside but with an Ionmax+ ION900PRO Aire high performance air purifier it can make a world of difference. In fact, the air pollution in your home could be up to five times worse than the air pollution outside. Astonishing I know but outside there are no boundaries for the air to circulate but we can’t say the same inside. https://youtu.be/eqpGmDfqCKM?si=8ULkfug4Atom-zkE Inside the air is trapped inside your four walls where particles, allergens and odours are floating around. These could be hair, dust and…

Go and find your smile. This week on The Best Movies You’ve Never Seen podcast we’re watching City Slickers starring Billy Crystal and Jack Palance. City Slickers tells the story of Mitch and his middle-aged friends who are coming to a crossroads in their lives and decide to go on a cattle drive to find the spark again. Stephen watched City Slickers in the cinema while Trevor is saddling up for the first time. We go through the memorable scenes and share some interesting facts, behind the scenes tidbits, trivia, fact v fiction and other things you don’t know about…

Make  the time to listen to Episode 677 of the Two Blokes Talking Tech podcast with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long as they go through the week’s biggest tech stories and product launches. On this week’s show: Eddie McGuire annoyed by Deepfake videos that are using his image – and rightly so, and then there’s the lady in France who was duped by a fake Brad Pitt – you’d think it not possible, but it’s true. Meanwhile Trevor’s got the iPhone 17 dummy models – how thin is thin and why? What do we think of…

ECOVACS has just released its new DEEBOT T50 Max Pro Omni and DEEBOT T50 Pro Omni with powerful new features and a slender design which means it can get into even more areas of your home. Both models are on shelf now. The DEEBOT T50 Max Pro Omni has a new BLAST feature – a 100W fan for the most powerful vacuuming ever on an ECOVACS robot vacuum. The DEEBOT T50 Pro Omni is just 8.1cm tall so it can now offer added reach getting in and cleaning under lounges and beds. “Our mission of Robotics For All means delivering…

Samsung has launched new entry models for the premium tablet line-up – the Galaxy Tab S10FE and Galaxy Tab S10FE+ – which have the largest screen yet on the Galaxy Tab S FE series and even slimmer bezels for larger display area. They are designed to offer a fun and immersive experience to handle everything from work and study to entertainment. Samsung’s new onboard Intelligent Features will help users improve their productivity and creativity. The new tablets are just 6mm thick and weigh between 497g and 668g depending on the model and screen size. “The new Galaxy Tab S10 FE…

LG Electronics Australia has released its quietest dishwasher to date with the 15 Place QuadWash dishwasher. The flagship unit is designed to blend into modern Australian homes with whisper quiet operation and features that offer convenience and efficiency. When the 15 Place QuadWash dishwasher is in operation it barely takes the sound meter to 40dBA which makes it ideal for Australian open plan living spaces and kitchens so customers can still enjoy thorough cleaning but without disturbing the other householders. This quiet operation means the dishwasher is ideal for families with young children to ensure peaceful evenings and uninterrupted sleep…

Travelling with your smartphone just got a lot easier and cheaper with the launch of new roaming unlimited data plans from Australian international provider Simify. International travel has now exceeded pre-COVID levels with Australians going overseas 11.6 million times in 2024 according to ABS figures. And Australians want to take their smartphones with them to stay connected, use their apps, their maps, share images and videos on social media and call their families at home. In fact, Australian travellers are using more data than ever. At the same time, customers are also embracing the convenience and flexibility of eSIMS. An…

Canon has released two new compact cameras – the PowerShot V1 and EOS R50 V – specially designed for content creators and vloggers who demand quality without the bulk of a larger camera. The PowerShot V1 is small enough to fit in your pocket but still has a built in ultra-wide lens while the EOS R50 V is an interchangeable lens camera that offers advanced filmmaking features to unleash your creativity. POWERSHOT V1 – $1,449 The PowerShot V1 is a 4K compact camera with an integrated ultra-wide lens which makes it easier to film yourself along with a large sensor…

Settle in and press play on Episode 638 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast hosted by editor Stephen Fenech so you can stay updated and educated about the latest consumer tech news and reviews. On this week’s show:  This week is World Back Up Day – one in four isn’t backing up their data and many that are not doing it right – we’ll set you straight. Ring launches new AI features to find your videos faster and Apple has announced the launch date for the Worldwide Developers Conference. In the Tech Guide reviews – we take a look at…

Netgear has released its latest Orbi 870 Series mesh system to offer greater Wi-Fi 7 speeds and connectivity around your entire home. The new Orbi 870 joins the Orbi 770 and Orbi 970 series systems in the Netgear line-up and ensures high performance networking to meet the needs of the modern connected home. The Orbi 870 has a main router and one or two satellites with the main router connecting to your existing modem and the satellites placed around your home so they can communicate and create a wider and more robust network. The Orbi 870 can provide fast wi-fi…

Arlo already has an impressive range of security cameras and it rounded out the range with the Wired Floodlight Camera that offers uninterrupted protection and high visibility so it can stand guard day and night in your home. As its name suggests, the Arlo Wired Floodlight Camera is connected directly to your power and needs professional installation by a licensed electrician. For this review, we had two installed – one near our front door and one on the side of our home. They are priced at $249 and available in black or white. We chose white to match our front…

Get in to the fast lane and listen to the latest episode of the popular show Two Blokes Talking Electric Cars – The EV Podcast – with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long. This week we are chatting about the basic principles of EV ownership and things to look for when in the market. We also discuss the idea of a commercial EV for business – what options are there? And a Model 3 with 120,000k’s on it – how’s it going, and what’s next? If you’ve got a question about EVs or you want to be…

It’s World Back Up Day and there is no better time to shine a light on backing up our data like photos and videos and important on physical drives and in the cloud. The bad news is not everyone is getting the message. According to research commissioned by Western Digital, one in four Australians are not backing up their data. And Sandisk says those that are backing up their precious memories and information are making common mistakes they could put their back up at risk. For the Western Digital respondents, 41 percent said they didn’t know how to back up…

We write about all kinds of technology but the latest battleground is not the TV, speaker or smart device – it’s your floor. And one brand to watch in this competitive space is Tineco. Floorcare has already become a massive category and, just like other tech categories, there is plenty competition. This competition is inspiring innovations for more effective cleaning of the floors and of the products themselves to avoid odours. https://youtu.be/1BOtrcw0v64?si=fLQZrlWLbt6SqVZ_ Across the Tineco range is a range of proprietary technologies including FlashDry, HyperSteam and iLoop Smart Sensor. FLASHDRY FlashDry is an important feature for wet and dry products.…

We crash into each other, just so we can feel something! This week on The Best Movies You’ve Never Seen we’re Crash starring Matt Dillon, Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle and directed by Paul Haggis. Crash tells several intersecting stories with Los Angeles as the backdrop and characters dealing with racism, sexism, corruption and violence. Stephen watched this on disc at home for the first time and immediately watched it a second time and has rewatched it many times since. Trevor is, as usual, arriving at Crash for the very first time. We go through the memorable scenes and share some…

Lend us your ears for Episode 676 of the Two Blokes Talking Tech podcast with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long as they discuss the biggest tech stories of the week and the latest product announcements. On this week’s show: Apple’s having another big week, their Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features have rolled out, plus they’ve announced their WWDC date and some new Maps features. Have we reached peak smartphone? The Google Pixel now looks like the Samsung which looks like the iPhone? And what next for foldable phones?  ESPN hits Disney and Max is part…