Author: Stephen Fenech

Stephen is the Tech Guide editor and one of Australia's most respected tech journalists. He is a regular on radio and TV talking about the latest tech news, products and trends.

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…

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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…

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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…

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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.…

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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…

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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…

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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.…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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There are a lot of Bluetooth speakers on the market at the moment but not all of them are quite as versatile as the Braven Mira water resistant speaker. The circular speaker can be used anywhere – including in the shower or by the pool. And the handy hook on the back can be used to hang it off the shower head and anywhere else and it can also be used as a kickstand to prop it up on any flat surface. On the front are the controls – volume up and down, on/off switch and the play button. The…

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The teaser trailer for the new Star Wars movie has just been released and we’ve been poring over every frame for clues about the film’s plot and characters. Star Wars Episode VII The Force Awakens isn’t released until December 2015 so this first official glimpse is super cool. As an avid Star Wars fan I was eagerly awaiting this first official teaser trailer but there were a few hoaxes and fan-made clips that looked real enough. One fake trailer started like the real thing with the Disney and Lucasfilm logos but what we got was video of the Rick Astley…

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Lifeproof has released its first waterproof for Apple’s new iPhone 6 to allow users to enjoy their summer without worrying about damaging their device. The Lifeproof frē is available in white/grey and black and seals the iPhone to make it waterproof, dustproof, shockproof and even snowproof. The case offers military grade protection to save the device from damage if you drop it – a mishap that’s the number one cause of device damage and often results in a smashed screen. The Lifeproof case can handle drops from a height of up to two metres. It also has a built-in screen…

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Two Blokes Talking Tech Episode 186, with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long, is your tour of the latest tech news and reviews. On this week’s show – which can be viewed on YouTube or heard in the usual ways – the blokes take about Regin – the world’s most feared computer virus, your technology personality type and the Kobo Aura H2O waterproof e-reader. Also on the agenda, Apple gets behind World AIDS Day, cheaper smartphones from Boost Mobile and Kogan, high tech car servicing with Audi and one-minute reviews on the Bang & Olufsen BeoPlay A2…

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Bose has eliminated the cable with its new Soundlink on-ear headphones but it certainly hasn’t had any impact on the company’s trademark high sound quality. These Bluetooth headphones have a padded headband with ear cups about the same size as those found on the excellent QC3 noise cancelling headphones. And while these Soundlink headphones don’t have active noise cancellation they still form a decent seal thanks to soft leather feel when they rest on your ears for a nice level of passive noise cancellation. They are also very lightweight so there’s no issue with wearing them for extended periods to…

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Stay updated and educated with the latest tech news and reviews with Episode 124 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast, hosted by editor Stephen Fenech. On this week’s show, discover your technology personality type, Netflix is finally coming to Australia and finding the right cloth to clean your device. In the Tech Guide reviews we take a look at the Kobo Aura H2O e-reader that’s waterproof, the Bang & Olufsen BeoPlay A2 Bluetooth speakers and the unusual looking BlackBerry Passport smartphone. In the Tech Guide Help Desk we answer the question about choosing between an activity tracker and a smartwatch.…

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A new virus called Regin has been described as the world’s most dangerous bug ever with experts saying it is probably the work of  a government agency. The malware, discovered by internet security company Symantec, is capable of stealing data and passwords, taking screenshots and can even control the cursor. Regin was also able to gain access to phone calls after attacking a telecom company’s infrastructure. Symantec says Regin has been around a long time and can go years without being noticed inside a computer system. It is suited for long-term surveillance of governments, research institutes, individuals and other countries.…

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To mark World AIDS Day, Apple has created a special section of the App Store – Apps for (RED) – with all proceeds going to global fund to fight AIDS. For the next two weeks the new Apps for (RED) section of the App Store will offer 24 apps with exclusive new content with funds directed to help achieve the goal of an AIDS-free generation. On World AIDS Day – December 1 – Apple will also donate a portion of sales at Apple’s retail and online stores around the world. The day also happens to coincide with one of the…

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As Australians we love technology and are early adopters of all types of devices but new research has identified six distinct technology personality types. Digital Ethnographer Jonathan Hutchinson partnered with Microsoft in his research to identify the different ways people approach and use technology in their day-to-day lives. From looking at consumer use, adoption and personal behaviour the study pinpointed six different personalities that consumers will be able to identify with. Here are the six tech types: THE CREATOR This user is always working on a new project and regularly share ideas while using technology to try and turn that…

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