Author: Stephen Fenech

LG, the company best known for TVs, appliances and smartphones, is going into the connected car business after agreeing to partner with Volkswagen AG to build a next-generation platform. The partnership will see the two companies working together to develop Volkswagen’s platform to enhance connectivity both on the road and back to smart devices in our home. The technologies developed could be used to control and monitor lights, security systems and household supplies – from the road. The collaboration will also see the companies develop a new notification system that would deliver the content in a safe and intuitive way.…

Two Blokes Talking Tech Episode 262, with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long, presents the biggest tech stories and products of the week in a fun and informative way. On this week’s show, is it time to move to electronic voting as the manual counting from the Federal election continues, Apple patents technology to disable your smartphone’s camera at concerts, Fetch TV releases two new set top boxes and Alcatel may bypass the telcos and sell its upcoming Idol smartphones directly to customers. Also on the agenda, the handbag with a built-in charger, how Microsoft’s Sydney Store…

D-Link has taken its connected home devices to the next level of automation with the integration of IFTTT (IF This Then That) to create a range of integrations in your home. IFTTT is a site that allows users to build recipes to trigger a variety of actions and open up a whole new world of possibilities. The D-Link family of connected devices include wi-fi smart plugs, motion sensors and a wi-fi siren and the implementation of IFTTT gives users even more control. With an IFTTT recipe you can create different scenarios in your home. For example, you could set an…

Logitech has just launched the new K780 wireless keyboard that can not only be used with your computer but also with your smartphone and tablet as well at the press of a button. The K780 is a full six row keyboard with functions keys and shortcuts that work with Macs and PCs, iOS, Android and Windows 10 devices. The layout of the keyboard is familiar no matter what device or operating system you’re using with some keys having two labels to make this crossover even easier. The circular keys are large and responsive so typing is comfortable and also virtually…

It’s been eight months since the Sydney Microsoft Store – the first flagship store outside North America – opened and it has been a huge success, despite fears no one would come to the grand opening. “We had about 100 people in the queue and the biggest concern was that we’d have no one turn up,” said store manager Nick Wells. “Then an hour and a half before we opened the doors we had a huge line stretching down Pitt St Mall which was incredible.” Since opening day on November 12, the Sydney Microsoft Store has exceeded everyone’s expectations. In…

Alcatel, the number three brand in Australia by volume behind Samsung and Apple, is so confident about its upcoming Idol 4 device it is willing to bypass the telcos and retailers and sell it directly to customers. The Idol 4 and Idol 4S received rave reviews when it was unveiled in Barcelona in February during Mobile World Congress but yet it has failed to find a retail or telco partner in Australia Tech Guide had a hands-on look at the device at MWC and was impressed by the design, build quality and features. The Idol 4 (5.2-inch screen) and Idol…

The best way to stay updated and educated about the latest tech news and reviews is by listening to Episode 206 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast hosted by editor Stephen Fenech. On this week’s show, the technology patented by Apple that will be able to disable your smartphone’s camera at concert, Fetch TV releases two new set-top boxes and Norton’s new Wi-Fi Privacy app that protects you on secured networks. In the Tech Guide reviews, we check out the HP Spectre – the world’s thinnest laptop, GoPro’s latest mounts and backpack and the Jabra Halo Smart earphones. And in…

GoPro action cameras are still all the rage and one of the reasons is the many ways they can be mounted or worn. Today GoPro has released even more ways for users to position their cameras. There are two new bike mounts and a backpack with built-in mounts. The redesigned Pro Handlebar/Seatpost/Pole mount is a compact unit that can be positioned in several places on your bike. The rotational platform allows you to capture more angles and perspectives than the old fixed mounts and can fit on posts, poles and other fixtures from 22.2mm to 35mm in diameter. The Pro…

As the world’s thinnest laptop, the HP Spectre 13.3 has really nailed it in the looks department and the good news is it has also got it where it counts under the hood as well. The device is just 10.4mm thick and weighs 1.1kg. It has a 13.3-inch (33cm) full high definition IPS (in-plane switching) display and a full six-row backlit keyboard. The screen is covered edge to edge in Gorilla Glass which makes it even more durable and scratch resistant. Apart from its svelte dimensions, the HP Spectre 13.3 also has impressive two-tone styling and craftsmanship to give it…

There’s a lot of competition for your entertainment dollar nowadays with subscription video on demand (SVOD) services and pay TV but Fetch TV’s new set-top boxes offers the best of both worlds along with all of the free-to-air channels. Fetch TV has seen remarkable growth in recent years and currently has more than 400,000 customers. And now Fetch TV has not one but two new set-top boxes – the Mighty and Mini – which offer a range of content options (including 4K content), all of the catch-up TV services, SVOD services, free-to-air recording and wi-fi connectivity. Fetch TV has a…

It’s a special edition for Episode 261 of the Two Blokes Talking Tech podcast, with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long as they hit the highway for a road trip. Stephen and Trevor travelled to Walcha in a pair of red Ford Mustangs while testing the brand new Sony Xperia X series of smartphones. The blokes share their initial thoughts on the Sony devices which will be available for purchase in early July. Also on the show, Norton’s new Wi-Fi Privacy app to protect yourself on unsecured networks, Netatmo’s Weather Station and how they’ve turned the blokes…

Jabra has released the Halo Smart wireless intelligent stereo earphones that are designed to be used on the move by busy people so they can easily switch between their music and calls. The earphones have a neck band style which means they are comfortable to wear all day with the earbuds always within reach when you need them. And while they offer impressive sound quality, they also have higher quality when it comes to calls thanks to high quality microphones and wind noise protection so you can be heard clearly even in noisy environments. According to a Jabra-commissioned survey by…

Lots of people connect to the internet on unsecured wi-fi networks but not many are aware of the dangers. Norton has launched a new app to shield them from hackers who could be snooping their data. Norton’s Wi-Fi Privacy app was released after an exhaustive Wi-Fi Risk report that revealed the online habits of consumers and their vulnerability on unsecured wireless networks. Hackers on that same network would easily be able to access data like passwords, credit numbers and other sensitive information. Norton’s solution, the Wi-Fi Privacy app is basically a VPN (virtual private network) and creates a cloak of…

Sphero – the company behind the popular rolling robots and the Star Wars BB8 toy – has announced its latest creation, SPRK+ – a robot designed for anyone who wants to learn programming and coding. SPRK+ is a see-through version of the popular Sphero toy which is aimed at kids who want to not only control the device – but also learn to program it as well. The SPRK+ (which actually stands for school, parents, robots, kids) teaches kids visual block-based programming that makes coding approachable and fun as well. They can do this through the SPRK+ Lightning Lab companion…

If you want to stay updated and educated about the latest consumer tech news and reviews, you need to tune in to Episode 205 of the Tech Guide podcast hosted by editor Stephen Fenech. On this week’s show, the flagship LG 4K OLED TVs land in Australia, how subscription video on demand (SVOD) services have exploded in 2016 and Telstra launches a new smart home platform. In the Tech Guide reviews, we check out the Netatmo Weather Station, take a listen to the Bose QC35 Bluetooth noise cancelling headphones and run our eye over the Oppo R9 smartphone. In the…

Samsung has today announced the Australian pricing and availability of its highly-anticipated Gear 360 – a 360-degree camera that can create immersive videos and images. The device allows users to capture their experiences and special occasions like never before and enjoy the content they’ve created with Samsung’s Gear VR headset. Priced at $499 and available in stores from today, Samsung’s Gear 360 camera has dual fisheye lenses, each with a 15-megapixel image sensor that can capture 360-degree video at a resolution of 3840 x 1920 and 30-megapixel stills. Users can also opt to shoot from one lens for a 180-degree…

Subscription video on demand (SVOD) services have experienced explosive growth in Australia in the last 12 months according to new research by technology analyst firm Telsyte. Today SVOD subscriptions like Netflix, Stan and Presto are running hot with a total of 2.7 million active subscriptions in Australia expected by the end of June 2016. That’s a growth of a remarkable 46 per cent from the same period in 2015. Telsyte’s study showed that 43 per cent of all Australians now subscribe to either pay TV or SVOD services – a four per cent increase over the previous 12 months. But…

In a popular Crowded House song there’s a lyric that says: “everywhere you go, always take the weather with you”. That’s exactly what you can do with the Netatmo Weather Station. In the same way a fitness wearable can track your activities and general wellbeing, the Netatmo Weather Station, priced at $299.99, lets you monitor and collect information about the environment inside and outside your home. And you also have the same options to use that information to improve your surroundings and make yourself more comfortable. Inside the box are the cylindrical indoor and outdoor stations made of durable aluminium.…

In the market for an affordable mid-tier smartphone? You’re in luck, there are plenty of options especially from Chinese manufacturers like Oppo who offer quality devices at affordable prices. The Oppo R9 is the company’s latest smartphone that looks impressive and feels like it has a solid build quality when you get it in your hands. Priced at $599, the device has a 5.5-inch AMOLED display which almost goes edge to edge. There a tiny 1.6mm bezel on either side of the screen which means you get a larger display but it’s housed in a chassis for a 5-inch screen.…

LG’s flagship 2016 4K OLED TVs – the ultrathin G6T Signature and E6T – have just landed in Australia and will be available to customers from selected retailers starting next week. LG has enjoyed plenty of success with its OLED range with more than 25,000 Australian households already investing in the technology. Today LG is the only major manufacturer to offer the OLED TV format. OLED – short for organic light emitting diode – is a self-illuminating material with two main benefits. The first is the ability to create incredibly thin televisions because OLED doesn’t require a backlight. Secondly, without…