Author: Stephen Fenech

Hisense has launched its latest 4K ULED TV that is set to take on its big name rivals with innovative technology for brighter, sharper pictures and improved contrast and black levels. The TVs were showcased at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne where the company is the official television supplier for the event. Hisense, the third biggest TV brand in Australia, will not only be competing in the picture quality stakes but will also be applying the pressure to other TV vendors with competitive and affordable pricing. Hisense says the 4K ULED TV has the company’s most advanced television technology…

Epson has revealed cutting edge wearable technology – the Moverio BT-300 augmented reality smartglasses – which are set to revolutionise how we perform important tasks across multiple industries.   The new Epson smartglasses feature the latest silicon-based OLED (organic light emitting diode) digital display technology making them 20 per cent lighter than the previous model – the Moverio BT-200 – and the lightest on the market. The smartglasses allow the wearer to see through the screen while at the same time viewing other information and augmented reality in their eyeline. The technology has already been embraced across a number of…

NRL star turned NFL hero Jarryd Hayne has gone back to his roots and visited his old primary school – but not to talk about his American football – but about cyberbullying and online safety. Hayne, the former Parramatta Eels superstar and now San Francisco 49ers rookie, is an internet security ambassador for Norton and he dropped in to his old school John Warby Public School in Campbelltown. Speaking at the school’s assembly, Hayne spoke to the student body about his online experiences and challenges and how the internet allowed him to stay in touch with his friends and family.…

For the second time in as many months, Telstra customers have been affected by a nationwide outage that has left customers frustrated and looking for answers. How could this happen to the nation’s biggest telco again? On February 9, Telstra’s network vanished for hours, leaving customers high and dry and without a connection to the cellular network or the internet. On that occasion Telstra’s woes were the result of an error with correct recovery procedures not being followed. This time around, it appears the effect was felt across the nationwide with angry customer taking to Twitter to vent their frustration.…

Two Blokes Talking Tech Episode 347, with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long, dissect the biggest tech news of week in their top-rating podcast that’s both funny and informative. On this week’s show, Kogan to take over the Dick Smith online store, Sony unveils the pricing and launch date for the PlayStation VR and Apple confirms a launch event for next week – will it announce a new iPhone? Also on the program, what’s your phone worth on eBay, LG’s new smartphone with a built-in digital radio and the new smart stadium powered by Huawei. In the…

Hey all you reality show addicts! Here’s some great news. Hayu – the all-reality show subscription video on demand service will be kicking off across Australia next week. NBCUniversal, the studio behind Hayu, will be offering the new service for just $5.99 a month. It will launch in Australia on March 22. “With over 3,000 episodes of the top reality TV shows – including Keeping Up with the Kardashians, The Real Housewives and Top Chef franchises and Made in Chelsea – this SVOD service is the first of its kind,” says NBCUniversal’s Jay McNamara, EVP Strategy Development and Analysis. “Curated…

If you’ve just purchased a Samsung Galaxy S7 or an S7 Edge you’d want to look after your investment. Cygnett’s latest range of AeroShield cases and screen protectors offer complete protection. And there is now worry that these tough TPU cases will hide the look of the sleek S7 and S7 Edge. They have either clear or subtle grey backs so you can still easily see the device while at the same time offering protection from bumps and scratches. TECH GUIDE’S REVIEWS OF THE SAMSUNG GALAXY S7 AND S7 EDGE The silicone-like material extends over the edge of the screens…

Sony Computer Entertainment has announced the pricing and availability for the PlayStation VR – a virtual reality headset that will bring gaming on the PlayStation 4 to a whole new level. The PS VR will be launched in Australia at the same time as Japan, North America, Europe, Asia and New Zealand in October. It will be competitively priced at $549.95 but it will only work with a PlayStation 4. And you will also need a PlayStation Camera ($90) and PlayStation Move controllers ($60 each) which act as your hands in the VR games. And we can expect to see…

Metricon Stadium, home ground of the Gold Coast Suns AFL team, is now one of the smartest grounds in Australia thanks to a new smart app and high-speed wi-fi network by Huawei. The smart stadium app will give fans at the game an all-new connected experience with information and convenient features at their fingertips. It was launched yesterday by Suns CEO Andrew Travis and Huawei Australia chairman John Lord. The Metricon Smart Stadium app provides a digital experience for fans at the game and gives them access to behind-the-scenes content during the match along with other game-day information. Also available…

We’re shifting into a higher gear for Episode 190 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast, hosted by editor Stephen Fenech, and chatting to James Bond stunt driver Mark Higgins. We caught up with Higgins while he was in Australia for the release of the latest Bond film Spectre on Blu-ray and DVD. Higgins is actually a rally car driver who first came on to Bond films in Quantum of Solace before backing up for Skyfall and Spectre. Our interview covers the one-off DB10 Aston Martin created for Spectre, the demands of stunt driving and what it was like to drive…

As Dick Smith’s bricks and mortar stores around the country liquidate stock and prepare to close their doors, the online component of the business will survive after being acquired by online electronics retailer Kogan.com. Kogan.com will continue the Dick Smith business as an online store from June 1 after paying an undisclosed amount at auction for the acquisition that includes intellectual property, domain names and the customer database. And while Dick Smith physical stores are closing, the online business will continue in the hands of Kogan.com CEO Ruslan Kogan who wants to keep the Dick Smith brand alive. “Dick Smith is…

LG has delivered a world-first smartphone with a built-in digital radio receiver that will allow users to listen to their favourite stations for as long as they want without using data. The LG Stylus DAB+ was unveiled at the world’s largest radio conference, Radiodays Europe 2016 in Paris today. The device, which is expected in Australia later in the year, has a 5.7-inch screen and features the world’s first built-in DAB+ broadcast digital radio. It comes with a DAB+ supporting chipset and an exclusive application that allows users to enjoy digital radio broadcasts. And unlike the popular radio apps which…

Investing in the right case for your smartphone could save you hundreds of dollars in repairs and EFM has released some cases that provide up to 82 per cent greater impact protection. And how does it do that? It’s thanks to D30 smart material which is exclusively used in EFM’s cases in Australia and New Zealand. The science behind D30’s impact protection is its molecular structure. Despite being soft and flexible material, D30’s molecules actually lock together on impact to reduce the transmitted force before returning to its usual flexible state. EFM’s cases are manufactured for the iPhone 6/6S and…

2016 is going to be the year of VR – Virtual Reality – with demand for headsets set to outstrip supply among Australian customers according to technology analysts Telsyte. Telsyte predicts more than 110,000 VR headsets will be sold in Australia in 2016 with sales rising dramatically year on year. “Strong market growth will come in 2017 and 2018 as manufacturers ramp up production and more ‘must have’ use cases emerge,” says Telsyte managing director Foad Fadaghi. At this rate of growth Telsyte says more then 500,000 units will be sold per year by 2020. And it will be driven…

The Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge are now available with a slick design, a fantastic camera and excellent performance but are some also few interesting hidden features to discover. Samsung’s new devices set pre-sales records and are sure to bolster the company’s position at the number one smartphone manufacturer. There are a lot of top line features like the 12-magapixel camera, the faster processor, expandable memory and an IP68 waterproof rating. READ TECH GUIDE’S REVIEW OF THE GALAXY S7 AND S7 EDGE But there are a number of hidden features as well. CREATE SHORTCUTS FOR TASKS (S7 EDGE) The…

Apple has confirmed it will be holding a launch event at its headquarters in Cupertino on March 21 with rumours suggesting the company will be unveiling a more affordable iPhone and a new iPad. The company sent out invitations to media showing a coloured version of the top of the Apple logo with the words “Let us loop you in”. This launch will be held at the Town Hall auditorium at Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino and will kick off at 10am local time (5am, March 22 Australian summer daylight savings time). The event is expected to focus on a cheaper…

With so many new smartphones released each year it’s frustrating for customers locked in to a two-year contract but Optus has come up with a way users can upgrade their device every 12 months. Available from today, My Plan Plus gives customers the option of getting a new smartphone 12 months into their plan. New and existing Optus customer can sign-up or re-contract to the latest My Plan Plus contract for 24 months and take advantage of the New Phone Trade Up after 12 months. If customers see a new smartphone that want after a year they have two options.…

If you want have a laugh and hear about the latest tech, then tune in to Episode 246 of Two Blokes Talking Tech with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long. On this week’s show, we share our thoughts on Samsung’s Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge smartphones and whether Apple should be worried. The blokes also talk about their overnight experiences with the new LG flatscreen 4K OLED TV in luxurious Sydney hotel. Also on the program, the new Freeview app, the affordable Oppo phone for Optus users, the dangers for pedestrians being distracted by their mobiles and…

Alcatel, the brand that provides quality smartphones and tablets at affordable prices, has consolidated its the third place in the Australian smartphone market behind giants like Samsung and Apple. Formerly Alcatel OneTouch and now simply known as Alcatel, company enjoyed a remarkable 70 per cent growth in the final quarter of 2015 and now has about 10 per cent of the local market share. According to figures by independent analysts IDC, Alcatel took out the third place in smartphones sales by volume and second in feature handsets for an overall third position in handsets in Australia. These improvements are the…

Did you know that sitting down for long periods puts you at greater risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some forms of cancer? A new app has been created to make Australians “chair aware”. The Rise and Recharge app has been developed by Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute with the support of the Vodafone Foundation and is designed to remind users to spend less time sitting and to move around regularly. Scientific research has shown that long periods of sitting can increase the risk of developing chronic illnesses like heart disease, type 2 diabetes and even cancer.…