Author: Stephen Fenech

There is no shortage of new and interesting gadgets at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas where companies hope to hit the jackpot with their products. These devices were scattered on various booths in the massive halls of the Las Vegas Convention Centre and really caught our eye. The two-level South Hall is usually the place where you find these smaller booths which are home to these intriguing new technologies. It is the first chance these gadgets have been seen by media, distributors and buyers from retail stores and chains around the world so making a big impression…

Two Blokes Talking Tech, Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long, are in Las Vegas and have completed Day Two of the International Consumer Electronics Show. The blokes have looked at a lot of cool new products and talk about their discoveries in Episode 190.4 including Belkin’s new WeMo range of smart home devices, the Hexo + drone that flies itself and the AEE drone that will go on sale in retails stores. Also on the show, the Alert Band that can detect driver fatigue, Garmin’s new Fenix 3 sport and smart watch, our tour of the Samsung…

There are plenty of wearables on display here at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas – but not many have the ability to save your life. That’s exactly what the Alert Band can do. It is an anti-fatigue brainwave detector. It is designed to be used by drivers and can accurately detect the person’s fatigue level. The forehead sensor can detect fatigue up to five minutes before a driver will fall asleep with a 90 per cent accuracy. And if a dangerous level of fatigue is detected, the Alert Band sends an alert to the user’s iPhone or…

Belkin has expanded its range of WeMo devices at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas with a range of new sensors that will make your home even smarter. It was at CES three years ago when we were introduced to the original line up of WeMo products. Since then the home automation space has flourished and the phrase “Internet of Things” was coined to describe how devices could be connected and working together to produce an outcome. Belkin has been at the forefront of this development with its WeMo ecosystem and this now includes a personal keychain sensor,…

Netflix will launch in Australia on March 31 with a three-tier pricing system that will start at $9.99 a month. This date and pricing was confirmed by a Tech Guide source during the International Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas. Netflix, which is also present at CES, were tight-lipped about any details about the Australian service. We attended a briefing with Netflix yesterday and they refused to answer any specific questions about the Australian service including the launch date and pricing structure. Our information was confirmed by another source. Netflix were busy defusing what turned out to be a false story…

The Two Blokes Talking Tech, Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long, have walked the floor on Day One of the International Consumer Electronics Show and talk about the products that caught their eye. In today’s Episode 190.3, Stephen and Trevor did their own explorations of the Las Vegas Convention Centre and saw a number of new and interesting products. These include the world record largest curved TV, the a fleet of new drones, a vending machine for your house, a Casio camera with a difference and Sharp’s frameless screens that can be used in our homes and…

LG unveiled its second curved smartphone – the G Flex 2 – at the International Consumer Electronics Show and Tech Guide has taken a hands-on look at the device. There are some people who might be wondering why you’d need a curved smartphone. One answer is that our phones used to be curved. Look at the phones we used at home and they were shaped so the handset would comfortably reach our ear and our mouth. With the evolution of smartphones and the large glass screens the curve was taken out but with the introduction of flexible OLED displays LG…

The International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas isn’t just for the big companies – it also plays host to first time attendees with quirky new gadgets, inventions and technologies. For some companies, revealing their products at CES with more than 150,000 attendees that include the cream of the world’s technology press could really put them on the map. Here’s a look at five of the coolest and quirkiest new gadgets we found at the world’s biggest consumer technology show. HEARNOTES We’ve heard of wireless earphones but Hearnotes is a wirefree pair of earphones. Even wireless headphones have a cable…

Two Blokes Talking Tech, Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long, are in Las Vegas for the International Consumer Electronics Show and give their verdicts on Press Day. Press Day takes place the day before CES starts and is when all of the companies present their latest products and technologies to the thousands of media in attendance. Stephen and Trevor run through LG’s announcements including the company’s strong OLED line-up along with the new twin washing machine and G Flex 2 curved smartphones. The Blokes then turn their attention to Samsung – arguably the most anticipated press conference…

We’ve heard of smart TVs, smartwatches and smartphones but now there’s a smart ring – a device that can control other products with gesture. Unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the product is simply called Ring. It looks like an oversized wedding ring that links to a central infrared hub via Bluetooth which in turn is connected to your home’s wi-fi network. Once connected, Ring can make things happen with a single gesture. It can be used to control devices at home like a TV or a lamp, take control of the camera and music player on…

There is no other place outside the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas where you get to see the TV wars up close. It’s not just the brands going head to head but also the TV formats that are fighting to gain customer support. Over the years we’ve seen plasma, LCD and, more recently, LED emerge as the dominant format. But in a town like Vegas where fortunes are made and lost with a bold gamble, LG has this year put its chips down on OLED (organic light emitting diode) as the way forward for television. The bulk of…

Sony has unveiled its thinnest ever 4K LCD TV at less than 5mm thick at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Sony’s X9000C Bravia series measures a svelte 4.9mm at its thinnest point and has a new 4K Processor X1 onboard for enhanced contrast and colour accuracy for both HD and 4K Ultra High Definition. It’s actually thinner than the Sony Xperia Z3 smartphone. It also retains Sony’s 4K X-Reality Pro for excellent upscaling and Triluminos screen technology that creates an even wider colour reproduction. They will be available in 55-inch, 65-inch and 75-inch sizes. All up Sony will…

Samsung has unveiled a new type of Ultra High Definition LED TV designed to enhance the colour and brightness of its 2015 range of smart TVs. Called S-UHD, the technology wasn’t explained during the Samsung press conference on the eve of the Consumer Electronics Show but the electronics giant says it will add more brightness and more colour expression than a regular LED TV. The basis of S-UHD is what the industry is calling Quantum Dot technology. The addition of this technology results in warmer and brighter colours. But in Samsung’s case they have added a little something extra –…

The Two Blokes Talking Tech, Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long, are in Las Vegas for the International Consumer Electronics Show. For Episode 190-1, the blokes attended CES Unveiled – the pre-show event that showcases a number of quirky gadgets and emerging technologies. Held at the Mandalay Bay Convention Centre, CES Unveiled revealed a number of smart devices including smart rings, smart pots, smart kettles, smart bottles and, of course, even more smartwatches and wearable activity bands. There was even a high visisbility jacket for cyclists with 23 built-in LED indicators. Stephen and Trevor talk about a…

LG has kicked off the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas with an ambitious line-up of products including a stunning range of super slim OLED TVs, an updated webOS to power the Internet of Things, an all-new curved smartphone and innovative new home appliances. “Innovation for a better life” was LG’s catch phrase to describe the company’s goal to provide its customers an easier and more enjoyable experience at home, on the go and even in the car. LG is on the front foot with OLED and this is reflected in the 2015 portfolio which is available in 4K…

Cyclists can now clearly been seen on the road with the new Visijax – a high visibility jacket with motion sensitive LED signalling lights. Unveiled at CES in Las Vegas, the Visijax provides added visibility and safety thanks to 23 LED lights placed on the front, back and sleeves. There are built-in sensors that react to the rider’s motions. Extending your left arm to signal a turn activates the LED lights on the left sleeve just like a car blinker. And when you bring your arm down again the indicators turn off automatically. The Visijax is fully waterproof and breathable…

Tune in to the first Tech Guide podcast for 2015, hosted by editor Stephen Fenech, coming to you live from the International Consumer Electronics Show. In Episode 129, we take a look at what we can expect to see at CES – the world’s largest consumer tech trade show. Also on the show, Telstra and Optus flick the switch on faster 4G networks and ESET, a global internet security company, predicts the areas where cyber criminals will strike in 2015. In the Tech Guide reviews we take a look at the excellent Sony VPL VW300ES 4K projector, the Logitech Harmony…

Tech Guide has landed in Las Vegas for the International Consumer Electronics Show where the latest tech products we’ll be using this year and beyond are revealed to the world. At CES, everyone from major global manufacturers to the newest start-ups with their first prototype have an opportunity to wow the industry and media in a town best known for making or breaking fortunes. In previous years CES has given us the first glimpse at what has gone on to become household technology including the VCR, compact disc, plasma TVs, DVDs and Blu-rays and 3D TVs. So what does CES…

LG will release a series of ultra widescreen 21:9 monitors to suit gamers, business owners and multimedia professionals at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next week. LG is a leader in widescreen monitor sales worldwide according to IDC with a market share of 77.3 per cent. LG will unveil four monitors at CES – the 21:9 UltraWide Gaming Monitor (34UM67), the world’s first curved 34-inch 21:9 (34UC97), 21:9 curved UltraWide Multi-Display (34UC87M) and the Digital Cinema 4K monitor (31MU97). LG 34-INCH 21:9 ULTRAWIDE GAMING MONITOR (34UM67) LG’s first 21:9 UltraWide gaming monitor is designed for graphics-heavy and…

Telstra and Optus will now be enjoying even faster and more reliable 4G connections with new mobile sites activated across Australia to kick off 2015. Both Telstra and Optus have taken advantage of the new 700 Mhz spectrum which allows the mobile signal to travel even further and faster as well as penetrate deeper into buildings. 4G 700 Mhz will offer greater bandwidth to manage the growing demand for extra data from customers as well as faster upload and download speeds. Optus started the new year with 4G 700Mhz on more than 270 sites in capital cities and regional centres…