Author: Stephen Fenech

Fitbit has become a household name when it comes to activity trackers and bands but the company has decided to move into smartwatch territory with release of the Fitbit Blaze. Fitbit Blaze takes everything they perfected in their other wearable devices and builds on them with additional features like a heart rate monitor and multi-sport modes. And it’s bigger – it’s a watch. After being used to seeing smaller Fitbit devices and displays, having the extra screen real estate with the Blaze was a nice change. DESIGN The Fitbit Blaze is a square module that fits inside a metal frame…

There are a lot of Bluetooth speakers on the market but it’s hard to find a device that ticks all the boxes in terms of sound quality, features, design and durability. The Sony SRS-XB3 is one of those speakers. The Sony SRS-XB3 (XB is short for Extra Bass) is a rugged speaker with a compact design that can be used indoors and outdoors. It is 21.1cm long, 8.3cm wide and 8cm high and weighs 930g. The device also has an IPX5 rating which makes it water resistant to poolside splashes and the rain. With all of the controls are on…

Are you a mobile phone hoarder? According to recycling program Mobile Muster you probably are. There are now more old devices rattling around in our drawers than there are people in Australia. New data just released by Mobile Muster indicates there are more than 25.5 million old mobiles cluttering our homes. And four million of these are broken and no longer working. So why are we holding on to these old mobiles? Mobile Muster says there is still quite a gap of awareness around mobile recycling which, when combined with our hoarding behaviour, has created an incredible build-up of old…

Amazon has just unveiled its thinnest and lightest ever Kindle e-reader – the Oasis – which has been completely redesigned to deliver an even richer and more convenient reading experience. The device weighs just 131g and is just 3.4mm thick at its thinnest point – that’s 30 per cent thinner on average and more than 20 per cent lighter than any other Kindle the company has produced. What makes the Oasis so lightweight is its polymer frame construction which is plated with metal so it is not only light but strong as well. The new Kindle also has an ergonomic…

When Dyson decides to update one of its products, you know there’s been major improvements inside and out and the new Cinetic Big Ball vacuum is no exception. Once again Dyson has taken a look at the frustrations of cleaning with a rolling barrel vacuum cleaner and eliminated them one by one. Dyson’s engineers rethought all of those pain points and the result is the Cinetic Big Ball vacuum. With a regular barrel vacuum, it doesn’t always follow you and sometimes they tip over. Not so with the Dyson – it is a self righting vacuum which means no matter…

We entrust our important personal data and documents to external hard drives for back up so choosing a high quality storage solution like the WD My Book Pro is very important. The device has two drive bays onboard and is designed for use by creative professionals and any other users who use lots of data. The My Book Pro is WD’s fastest external drive and has two Thunderbolt 2 port and two USB 3.0 ports which are conveniently located on the front of the product so they can be used to charge and sync smartphones and tablets and other devices.…

Logitech, a company best know for its keyboards, mice, cases and other accessories, has also made quite a name for itself in video conferencing and has just released some new solutions. And Logitech and is among the market leaders in this growing market. Workplaces are changing with open plan layouts and hot-desking which sees employees sitting wherever there is a free desk rather than in the same spot. Another addition are more conference rooms – also known by the cooler term of “huddle rooms” in start-up companies – and it is here where video conferencing can come into play. And…

HTC is planning to bounce back from a challenging 2015 with the launch of a new smartphone – the HTC 10 – a bold, feature-packed device with a focus on design and features. The company hit a bit of a slump last year but the HTC 10 may just be the product that heralds its comeback. It has a 5.2-inch quad HD display with curved-edge Gorilla Glass and is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor. On the design side, HTC unveiled an impressive look and feel with a gently curved back panel and a chamfered contour. It has 32GB…

Episode 194 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast, hosted by editor Stephen Fenech, is available to stream now so you can stay updated and educated about the latest tech news and reviews. On this week’s show, the device that can help you avoid speeding tickets, technology that has the potential to halt cyberbullying and the new virtual reality shopping experience for IKEA. In the Tech Guide reviews, we take a look at the Netgear X8 router, the Nespresso Prodigio that allows you make your coffee with your smartphone and the Otterbox Strada Series that combines a smartphone case with a…

The alarming results of Symantec’s internet security threat report has revealed cyber criminals are not going away – in fact, they’re getting more organised to increase the efficiency of their attacks. Symantec, the company behind the Norton security software, says the professionalism among cyber criminals has increased with new and advanced attacks on the rise. Among them are a number of threats including data breaches, ransomware, spear-phishing and targeted attacks. “Advanced criminal attack groups now mirror the skill sets of nation-state attackers,” said Kevin Haley, director, Symantec Security Response. “They have well resourced and highly-skilled technical staff that operate during…

If you’re happy with your current modem but want to soup up your wi-fi network, then check out the new D-Link DIR-895L – a router that can reach combined speeds of up to 5300Mbps. D-Link has just released the DIR-895L AC5300 Ultra Tri-Band Wi-Fi Router which has the latest 802.11ac wi-fi standard. And it’s all housed in an aggressive-looking chassis with eight high-powered antennas for enhanced network coverage that will reach the corners of even the largest houses. Also under the hood is MU-MIMO (multi user – multiple in, multiple out) technology which means high bandwidth to multiple devices at…

Linksys has just released its first ADSL/VDSL wi-fi X6200 modem router for the home or office with dual wireless bands that can easily handle streaming 4K content and online gaming. And with the compatibility of ADSL and VDSL, the X6200 will suit a wide range of users today and into the future as they cut over to the NBN. ADSL will work with current set-ups while VSDL will come into play when the NBN’s fibre to the node connection is deployed so the Linksys X6200 modem router will be useful today and tomorrow. The device has a 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz…

We already carry a wallet and our phones separately when we leave our homes but what about a case that can combine both. That’s what the Strada Series Case from Otterbox can do. Available for iPhone 6/6S and iPhone 6/6S Plus, the Strada incorporates Otterbox’s certified drop protection with a stylish handcrafted leather book-style cover. On the inside cover is a slot which can carry a credit card or your driver’s licence – or both – along with some cash. The Strada Series Case has a high quality finish that’s complimented with precision stitching front and back. The front cover…

Any driver knows you’ve got to keep an eye out for school zones, red light and speed cameras, speed traps and changing speed limits and a tiny new device can help you do just that. TrapTap is a small circular wireless device that sits on your dashboard that can give you colour-coded alerts when you need to be extra careful to avoid a costly fine. The button-shaped product has been pre-mapped for every red light camera, speed camera and school zone in more 60 countries including Australia. Users can also mark the location of police cars and mobile speed traps…

The Nespresso experience is now a connected one with the launch of the Prodigio&Milk – the first smart Nespresso coffee machine that lets you control your brew and keep a tally of your pods on your smartphone. The Prodigio&Milk, manufactured by Breville, has Bluetooth on board so you can pair your iPhone or Android smartphone through the free Nespresso app. The compact machine has a small footprint so you’ll have no trouble finding space for it in your kitchen. The water tank and Aeroccino (for the milk) are connected to the machine on a swivel base that allows them to…

The Two Blokes Talking Tech, Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long, are celebrating the 250th episode of the popular weekly podcast that covers the latest tech issues. On this week’s landmark show, the blokes take a stroll down memory lane about how the podcast got off the ground. Also on the program, Stephen and Trevor get down to chatting about latest tech news including digital rights to major sporting events, Telstra’s free data day and status as a network and the IKEA VR shopping experience. The blokes also chat about Sphero’s update for BB8 that allows it…

Words can be hurtful – especially if they’re constantly coming from a cyberbully but a new online tool called Reword can block or transform those messages before they are sent. Reword is Australian-made technology can detect a range of cruel, intimidating, insulting and hateful phrases in real time. It then draws a red line through the offending words like a spell checker and prompts the writer to reword their message or post. Reword is designed to make users change the way they communicate and realise the impact hurtful messages can have on others. More than 450,000 Australian were the victims…

Never has there been as much strain on our wi-fi networks as there is now, so a good router is essential and Netgear’s latest X8 ticks all the boxes in terms of speed, range and capacity. With the growing number of wireless devices in the average household and our take-up of streaming services like Netflix, having a solid router that can handle that load and keep us connected anywhere in our homes has never been more important. Netgear’s X8, easily the best wi-fi router the company has produced, is a tri-band device which can achieve combined wireless speeds of up…

Virtual reality has now become a part of the shopping experience with home furnishing store IKEA launching an app that will give customer a completely new way to explore before they buy. The IKEA VR Experience is a new app that’s been developed for the HTC Vive headset in a pilot program that will explore new ways to empower customers. For IKEA, the VR app will be initially used in its kitchen department. This means a customer can not only customise the design, colours and features of their future kitchen but, thanks to the VR technology, step inside it and…

There’s yet another reason to love Sphero’s already lovable BB8 droid toy after the companion app was updated so BB8 can watch The Force Awakens with you and react to the film in real time. Sphero BB8 owners simply launch the “Watch With Me” mode on the app and sit BB8 in front of their TV or tablet while watching the film. Star Wars: The Force Awakens was released on Digital HD in Australia on April 1 with the Blu-ray and DVD release coming up on April 13. BB8 will react to what’s happening on the screen and then display…