Author: Stephen Fenech

Welcome to Day 2 of Tech Guide’s 12 Days of Christmas gift ideas. Today we’ll be showcasing digital cameras for those who want to capture images better than those your smartphone can manage. These cameras offer even more modes and options to improve your photography and take more control of your shots. There is wide variety of cameras available from and these are just a sample of affordable devices that offer great value. Here is the full list of the Tech Guide 12 Days of Christmas gift ideas: Day 1: Smartphones Day 2: Cameras Day 3: Wearables/Activity trackers Day 4:…

Instagram, the hugely popular photo-sharing app, has smashed through the 300 million user mark with the community sharing more than 70 million pictures and videos every day. It’s still not quite up with Facebook (which owns Instagram) with 1.3 billion active users but has actually overtaken Twitter which has 283 million users. In fact, Instagram’s user base has doubled since it passed 150 million 12 months ago. Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom says there will also be renewed focus to allow users to follow authentic celebrity accounts who will now be marked with a verified badge. The company is also deactivating…

Episode 188 of Two Blokes Talking Tech, with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long, gives you an entertaining and informative look at the latest tech news, views and reviews. On this week’s show, the blokes talk about the new piracy laws proposed by the government and the reaction from the industry. While on the subject of content, we take a look at the strategic partnership between Foxtel and Channel 7 to combat the incoming threat from popular subscription service Netflix. Also on the show, Facebook’s most talked about stories 2014, Tesla opens up a store to sell…

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas and technology gifts are going to be high on a lot of people’s wishlists. Starting today Tech Guide is kicking off the 12 Days of Christmas series that looks at a new product category every day. Here are the Tech Guide 12 Days of Christmas. Day 1: Smartphone Day 2: Cameras Day 3: Wearables/Activity trackers Day 4: Tablets Day 5: Speakers Day 6: Gadgets Day 7: Gaming Day 8: Smartwatches Day 9: TVs/Blu-ray Discs Day 10: Computers Day 11: Sport Gadgets Day 12: Headphones Today on Day 1 we take a look…

HTC’s RE  – the stand-alone camera that looks like a mini periscope – has gone on sale in Australia through Telstra stores. The HTC RE, which will likely be priced at $249, is a small handheld camera that can capture 16-megapixel stills and full high definition 1080P videos at 30fps (frames per second). The device can also capture slow motion and time lapse as well. The periscope shape gives it a nice fit in your hands with a large capture key that’s easy to access with your thumb. One quick press and you can take a photo and a longer…

When we want to shoot video we usually reach for our smartphone but if you’re in or near water that’s not possible which is where the JVC HD Everio GZ-R10 comes in. The JVC device looks like most other camcorders on the market complete with a flip out 3-inch touchscreen to control the camera and frame your shots. But the JVC HD Everio GZ-R10 full HD 1920 x 1080 camcorder has one major difference to these other camcorders – it’s completely waterproof. It combines the versatility and ruggedness of a GoPro with a traditional camcorder complete with plenty of features…

People who illegally download content in Australia turn to piracy through frustration of cost or availability. Australians have always been slugged with higher prices for the same content available, in some instances, for less than half the price in other regions. But these same pirates are also more likely to support content creators with legitimate purchases, according to the latest research from Choice. The study revealed 33 per cent of Australians have illegally downloaded or streamed pirated TV shows and movies online. Popular fantasy drama Games of Thrones was recently named as the most pirated show with Australians named as…

Tune in to Episode 126 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast, hosted by editor Stephen Fenech, to stay updated and educated about the latest tech news and reviews. On this week’s show, Foxtel and Channel 7 join forces to combat the incoming threat of Netflix, Sony releases the 20th Anniversary edition of the PlayStation 4 and gadget-loving spy James Bond is back in his 24th film. In the Tech Guide reviews, we run our eye over the Henge Dock for your MacBook Pro and the new Wemo LED Smart Bulbs from Belkin. In the Tech Guide Interview, we chat exclusively…

Foxtel has launched a pre-emptive strike against Netflix – which launches in Australia in March – with a partnership with Channel 7. Presto – an on-demand subscription service owned by Foxtel – will join forces with Channel 7 to provide subscription on-demand television for Presto subscribers in early 2015. Netflix – a hugely successful content subscription service from the US – will touchdown in Australia in March 2015. And it will bring with it exclusive titles like House of Cards starring Kevin Spacey and Orange is the New Black among a host of new and exclusive content. To combat the…

The PlayStation 4 is an all-round device for gaming and entertainment and the new PlayStation TV can now extend those abilities to the other TVs in your home. With PlayStation TV users can stream their PlayStation 4 games to stream to any other TV in their home. It will also you to play PlayStation Vita games on your TV as well. The unit is quite small – about the size of a deck of cards – and measures 7.6cm long, 4.6cm wide and 2.2cm thick. The device can be connected with a cable – either to your PlayStation 4 or…

Belkin has extended the Wemo home automation ecosystem even further with the launch of Wemo LED Smart Bulbs to control and customise your lighting. The LED Smart Bulbs are linked to your home network and controlled by the Wemo app on your smartphone. Each Smart Bulb has a potential life span of up to 23 years and produces the same amount as a 60-watt bulb. Users can control when the lights come on and turn off and can even create rules based on the sunrise and sunset or set a vacation mode to simulate that you’re still home. There’s also…

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of PlayStation, Sony has released a special limited edition PlayStation 4 that is the same colour as the original. The first PlayStation was released on December 3, 1994. Sony is commemorating the platform’s 20th birthday with a new PS4 that is limited to just 12,300 units. This number reflects the launch date of the original console. The PlayStation 4 20th Anniversary Edition comes in the original grey colour of the first PlayStation right down to the controller and included accessories. PlayStation was the first home console ever to sell more than 100 million units and…

James Bond, the onscreen super spy with all the latest gadgets, will return to the big screen in the 24th film in the franchise which will be called Spectre. Daniel Craig once again reprises his role as James Bond Agent 007 for the fourth time. The film begins shooting next week and will be directed by Sam Mendes who also helmed the previous Bond film Skyfall. The story will see Bond investigate a cryptic message from his past that will lead him to uncover a sinister organisation while M struggles to keep the secret service alive against strong political forces.…

Apple’s MacBook Pro is a versatile product and the new Henge Dock can help you easily store it, charge it and make it the centre if your connected desktop. The Henge Dock has a sturdy construction and is made of similar aluminium material as the MacBook Pro. It has a wide stand with rubber grips so it is stable and it’s not going to move easily once you position it on your desk. Our MacBook Pro 15-inch with Retina Display slipped precisely inside the Henge Dock. The inside of the product is lined with rubber so there’s no risk of…

Spotify has just released its list of the most popular artists and tracks with UK songwriter Ed Sheeran crowned as the most streamed musician in 2014. In the last year Spotify, the popular music streaming service, saw more than 50 million Spotify users listen to more than seven billion hours of music. Ed Sheeran led the way with the artist listened to more than 860 million times around the world on Spotify. Sheeran’s X album, despite being released halfway through the year in June, was also the most streamed album of the year with 430 million streams. Katy Perry was…

Two Blokes Talking Tech Episode 187, with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long, gives you a front row seat to the latest tech news and reviews. On this week’s show, the top internet searches of Yahoo7 and Bing, the tech we’re buying for Christmas based on the US Black Friday sales and the viral adoption of the #PutYourBatsOut tribute for cricketer Phillip Hughes. Also on the show, Optus offers new insurance cover for smartphone and tablet users, Stephen geeks out about the Star Wars Episode VII The Force Awakens teaser trailer and the Smart Mirror Kickstarter campaign.…

It’s nearly Christmas and if you’re thinking of setting up some lights you can’t go past the Philips Hue that allows users to control the colour and brightness. And you can control it all with a smartphone app for iPhone and Android to make your lighting do exactly what you want it to do. Now there are even more choices with the Philips Hue lighting systems. We’ve still got the Starter Pack that comes with three screw-in bulbs and the bridge that connects to your router to give you wireless control of the system. The circular bridge unit links to…

Episode 125 of the top rating Tech Guide podcast, hosted by editor Stephen Fenech, is available now to give you the lowdown on the latest tech news and reviews. On this week’s show, we take a look at the tech we’re buying for Christmas, the top internet searches of 2014 and the Star Wars Episode VII The Force Awakens trailer – we take a shot-by-shot look at it. In the Tech Guide reviews, the Braven Mira water resistant speaker you can listen to in the shower, the Bose wireless Bluetooth on-ear headphones and the Lifeproof Fre waterproof case for the…

To insure or not insure – that is the question. Optus has launched Yes Cover to give customers protection if their device is lost, stolen or damaged. We all carry smartphones around with us every day and use other devices like tablets often, especially when we’re travelling. And unfortunately we sometimes misplace these devices or, even worse, they get stolen and all we are left with after all that is the heartache and the bill to replace it. But now Optus customers have the option of taking up Yes Cover for an additional $13 a month on top of their…

If you’ve ever wanted to have your say on the radio but didn’t want to wait on hold for ages then the VoiceByte app let’s you easily make yourself heard. 2GB in Sydney is already using VoiceByte – available on iOS and Android – to gather content from listeners for their programs. In fact, VoiceByte is being used as a way for listeners to submit a question for Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech to answer during his popular 2GB tech segment every Wednesday afternoon as part of Chris Smith’s Afternoon Show. It’s not unusual for callers to wait for up…