Author: Stephen Fenech

Oppo’s new R9 smartphone that’s packed with a number of impressive features including a beautifying camera and ultra-fast charging, will be available through JB Hi-Fi stores after the company signed a national retail agreement. The eye-catching smartphone has a 5.5-inch AMOLED display, but with a super thin 1.6mm bezel on either side of the screen, it’s closer to the size of a 5.2-inch device. The smartphone’s design includes a contoured comfort grip to maintain an easier hold on the device. Anyone who’s always trying to capture the perfect selfie will love the Oppo R9. It has a 16-megapixel front-facing camera…

The release date, plan pricing from all the telcos and Australian outright purchase price of the new feature-packed flagship HTC 10 Android smartphone has just been announced. The HTC 10 – the device the company hopes will bring it out of the doldrums – will be released on May 3 through Telstra, Optus, Vodafone and Virgin Mobile. On the same, the HTC 10 will also be available for outright purchase from JB Hi-Fi and Harvey Norman for $1,099. The HTC 10 will be available in two colours – Carbon Grey and Glacier Silver. It has a sleek design (it’s 9mm…

Logitech has released the Logi Base – a charging stand especially designed for Apple’s popular 9.7-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pros that powers the devices through the side smart connectors. The Logi Base is made of high grade aluminium and has a slick design to complement the iPad Pro’s premium look. It positions the iPad Pro at a comfortable viewing angle to watch movies, play games, type and to even use it as second screen with your iMac or Macbook. It’s a handy solution for the kitchen to place the iPad within easy view if you’re using it as a cookbook…

The highly-anticipated first episode of the sixth season of hit show Game of Thrones has broken records to become the most watched program in Australian subscription television history. Episode One of Game of Thrones Season Six yesterday achieved a total live audience of more than 727,000 for Foxtel to claim the biggest single day audience on Australian pay TV. And this figure does not include the number of Foxtel customers who recorded the show and watched it later. It was screened at 11am on the Showcase channel – the same time as viewers in the US – and the fact…

Episode 196 of the Tech Guide podcast, hosted by editor Stephen Fenech, can be heard anywhere – while you’re driving, exercising or doing the housework – to keep you updated and educated about the latest tech news and reviews. On this week’s show, is the tablet market in Australia in trouble, LG announces pricing and availability for its new modular G5 smartphone and Microsoft halts production of the Xbox 360 gaming console. In the Tech Guide Reviews, we check out the new Sony range of Bravia 4K HDR TVs, the Samsung Galaxy TabPro S Windows 10 tablet and the Alcatel…

We’ve had 4K and Ultra HD TVs for years but now we’re about to get our first taste of true 4K content with the release next month of hit film The Revenant on 4K Ultra HD Disc. The Revenant will be 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment’s first day and date release of the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray version of a film along with the DVD and Blu-ray Disc versions on May 18. The film, starring Leonardo DiCaprio in his Oscar-winning role, was inspired by true events about an explorer left for dead in the wilderness before battling through treacherous terrain…

Samsung is already a dominant force in Android smartphones and Android tablets and it has just set its sights on reaching the top in the Windows 10 tablet category with the Galaxy TabPro S. The 12-inch device has been released at a time when customers are looking to the latest tablets to take on the role as their laptop as well. We’ve seen products that tick the boxes in this “super tablet” category including Microsoft’s Surface Pro 4 and Apple’s family of iPad Pros. Samsung has become the latest player in this segment with the Galaxy TabPro S. It’s an…

Bang & Olufsen is a name synonymous with two things – exceptional design and excellent audio quality and that’s exactly what you get with the company’s latest product – the BeoPlay A1. The A1 is the smallest speaker in the BeoPlay family and has a 24-hour battery life plus a built-in speakerphone for hands-free calls. BeoPlay A1 Bluetooth speaker measures just 13.3cm across, 4.8cm thick and weighs just 600g. It has an impressive Danish design with a contoured aluminium dome which is light yet sturdy. It also has a soft leather strap to make it easy to carry with you…

Sony has released its 2016 range of 4K HDR (high dynamic range) series of Bravia smart TVs which build on the company’s remarkable screen technologies to deliver an amazing viewing experience. Tech Guide had an opportunity to get up close to these latest Sony televisions which feature slim designs and remarkable backlighting technologies for added brightness and better contrast and clarity. And with HDR onboard that expands the limits of the screen even further and showcases content as it was meant to be seen. HDR is designed to allow brighter whites and blacker blacks and the ability to see all…

The Australian tablet market has dropped for the second year in a row but its due for a resurgence in 2016 with Microsoft and Apple fighting for the top spot with high end devices. The Telsyte Australia Tablet Market Study 2016 has revealed tablet sales in 2015 reached 3.1 million units. That’s down from the 3.8 million devices sold in 2014. But despite this 18 per cent downturn, Telsyte says the market is set to pick up dramatically as customers look to higher end tablets that have the power and versatility of a laptop. And even though there were less…

Microsoft is retiring the popular Xbox360 console – 11 years after the product introduced players to incredible next generation gaming and established exciting game franchises. The company has stopped manufacturing the console so existing stock in stores around the world will be the last remnants. But this won’t affect the Xbox One, Microsoft’s flagship console and direct competitor to Sony’s PlayStation 4, which will remain with new titles supporting this platform. The Xbox 360 made its debut at E3 (Electronics Entertainment Expo) in 2005 (this writer was at that launch event) in 2005 and it created a huge buzz in…

LG’s new G5 – the sleek new smartphone with a modular design – will go on sale in Australia next month along with its collection of companion accessories called “LG Friends” The device will be available from May 2 through Optus stores and retail partner Harvey Norman and on May 3 through Telstra Stores. The LG G5 will be priced at $1,099 for outright purchase and also available on plans. LG’s G5 is the world’s first smartphone with a modular design that delivers a metal unibody design but with a removable battery. The base of the G5 detaches and gives…

Episode 251 of the popular Two Blokes Talking Tech podcast, with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long, is available now to dissect the biggest tech stories. On this week’s show, the battle were fighting against cyber criminals, will the HTC 10 put the company back on the map and the rumours are building about the latest bank that may offer Apple Pay. Also on the program, Spotify stats on who’s listening to The Beatles, the Kindle Oasis and the minute reviews where we take a look at the Fitbit Blaze and the Sony Extra Bass Bluetooth speakers.…

Apple has updated its popular Macbook –  the thinnest and lightest Mac the company has produced – with the latest Intel processor, an even longer battery life and a new rose gold finish. The Macbook will now ship with the sixth generation dual-core Intel Core M processors running at up to 1.3Ghz with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.1Ghz. Also onboard is a new Intel HD Graphics 515 processor which delivers up to 25 per cent faster performance along with faster PCle-based flash storage memory so apps and files open faster. There is now also 8GB RAM standard on all…

The most avid users of smartphones are younger users who are enjoying a lifestyle their delicate devices often can’t keep up with but the new Alcatel Go Play can put those worries at ease. The Go Play is a 5-inch Android smartphone with a rugged construction that also happens to be waterproof. In typical style, Alcatel has produced a feature-packed product that is well-designed, packed with features and fun to use. And at $299, it is extremely affordable as well. Design-wise, the Go Play has a clean look and feel. The front of the device is all display – a…

Getting hold of two Lumix cameras to trial at once – the GF8 and the TZ110 – doesn’t happen very often and when it does it leads inevitably to comparisons. So here goes. First, the similarities. They are both pocket-sized cameras. The TZ110 more so. I much prefer the TZ110’s built-in lens cover and lens that comes to life when you power on the camera, as opposed to the GF8’s clip-on lens cap and the need to physically enable the 12-32mm lens with a twist after powering the body. A small matter, really, but if you hate chasing lens caps…

Episode 195 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast, hosted by editor Stephen Fenech, is a comprehensive look at the latest tech news, reviews and opinions to keep you updated and educated. On this week’s show, are you Australia’s biggest mobile phone hoarder and the alarming increase in online threats and cyber-crime and what you can do to protect yourself. We also talk to Audible’s Australian managing director Matthew Gain about the growing Australian appetite for audiobooks. In the Tech Guide reviews, we take a look at the Fitbit Blaze smart fitness watch, the Sony Extra Bass Bluetooth speakers and the…

There’s lot of smart products out there – phones, TV, watches and cars – but the latest smart device that’s been revealed is called Peggy. It’s the world’s smallest clothes peg. Peggy is an Australian product designed to lighten the laundry load and free up time in our already busy lives to do the things you really want to do. So how does it work? Peggy connects to your home’s wi-fi network and tells you the best time to do the washing according to the weather. It might look like an ordinary peg but the onboard technology can monitor temperature…

iPad and iPhone owners – what’s one thing your devices don’t have? Answer: a microSD card slot.  Lexar has come to the rescue with a new microSD reader with a Lightning connector. The small and easily portable Lexar device now makes it possible for users to transfer content like photos and videos on and off their iPhone or iPad. It’s also handy if you have a microSD card full of your favourite content or if you want to transfer footage and images from an action camera or a drone. The Lexar reader works with a free file management app that…

Heard any good books lately? That’s a question more and more Australians are asking as we embrace the 21st century trend that blends literature and technology – audiobooks. According to research by Audible – the world’s leading provider of audiobooks – more busy Australians than ever are turning to listening instead of reading books. And it’s growing at triple digit rates year on year. The ability to hear a book instead of using your eyes to read means we are also multi-tasking. We can now hear our books while we’re doing other things. Audible’s study revealed some interesting facts about…