Author: Stephen Fenech

There aren’t many apps that have the potential to save your life but the SkinVision app that can help users check themselves for melanoma and skin cancer symptoms, can certainly make that claim. SkinVision, available for iPhone and Samsung Android smartphones, was developed in Europe and has been certified for use in Australia. It allows users to take photos of their moles and track any changes over time. SkinVision uses a unique scientifically proven algorithm to analyse the lesions you’ve photographed using fractal geometry. https://vimeo.com/145718309 This is the first app in the world to offer online assessment with the app…

When it comes to smart home automation one of the most import aspects for most customers is security and SwannOne has released easy-to-install kits that are designed to give you peace of mind. The reason the SwannOne packages are called smart security is because home owners can see live video feeds from inside their house and also receive alerts when doors and windows are opened, if motion is detected and even if it hears glass breaking or an alarm going off. And being a connected system, it can be viewed and controlled anywhere using your smartphone, tablet or computer. The…

TV legend David Hasselhoff has caused a stir on social media after announcing that he changed his name to David Hoff before it was revealed it was part of an Amaysim marketing campaign. The Hoff tweeted that is was “Big news for me and a massive relief for me” and also said in an accompanying video “I hope everyone understands …. it feels great”. At the same time the star of Knight Rider and Baywatch changed his online account names from David Hasselhoff to David Hoff. Amaysim, the Australian telco that offers SIM only plans, claimed responsibility for the stunt…

Just when you thought a speaker couldn’t get any better, Sonos releases not only an exceptional new Play:5 model but an app that can make your existing Sonos speakers sound better than ever before. The Sonos app that allows users to control their music and direct it to various Sonos speakers in the home now has a new featured called Trueplay. It can optimise your speaker’s sound quality by assessing the speaker’s position in the room and the furniture and other items. It does this through your iPhone’s microphone which, while the Sonos plays a test tone, you wave up…

Garmin, a brand we associate with connected fitness and sporting watches and wearables, has unveiled the Index Smart Scale – a connected device that can help users reach their health and fitness goals. The Index Smart Scale can not only tell you your weight but it can also measure Body Mass Index (BMI), water percentage, muscle mass and bone mass. It’s not designed to be used by just one person. A family, company or sports teams can use it with support for up to 16 different users. And just as measurements and information from Garmin’s wearables and other devices can…

Apple has apologised to six teenagers who were ejected from the company’s store in the Highpoint shopping centre in Melbourne allegedly on suspicion that they might steal something. The black students, who were from Sudan, Somalia, Nigeria, Egypt and Eritrea moved to Australia as children, accused Apple of treating them differently because of the colour of their skin. The incident was captured on video and shared on social media where it immediately went viral. It showed an Apple store staff member saying “these guys (security guards) are just a bit worried about your presence in our store, they’re just worried…

If you want a fun yet informative look at the biggest tech news of the week you need to tune in to Episode 232 of the Two Blokes Talking Tech podcast with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long. On this week’s show, the blokes discuss the new iPad Pro and the sort of customer that will buy it, the Surface Pro 4 and the Microsoft Sydney store opening as well as the release of TAG Heuer’s first smartwatch. Also on the show, Vodafone and the Garvan Institute’s DreamLab app, Presto free for Foxtel Platinum customers, Call of…

The new Sydney Microsoft flagship store is open for business after opened today in the busy Pitt St Mall for the first time to the cheers of hundreds of customers gathered outside and eager to be among the first to walk through the doors. Eager Microsoft fans packed into the Pitt Street Mall with lines stretching down the block – an impressive achievement considering Prince Charles and Camilla were attracting their own crowd in nearby Martin Place. When the curtain covering the front of the glass store dropped it revealed dancing and cheering staff on both levels and, within moments,…

The first thing you think when you get your hands on the new iPad Pro for the first time is “wow, this is huge” but once you adjust to the size you’ll come to appreciate the latest addition to the Apple product family. With a Retina display size of 12.9-inches, there’s a lot to love about the iPad Pro apart from the added screen real estate which has a resolution of 2732 x 2048 and more than 5.6 million pixels. There’s the thin and lightweight design – the iPad Pro is about the same weight as the original iPad introduced…

Apple Music is now available to Android users after the app for the music streaming service was launched in the Google Play Store to give listeners access to more than 30 million tracks in the iTunes library. Eddy Cue, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Internet Software and Services, made the announcement on Twitter with a tweet that said: “Welcome Android users to @AppleMusic”. Android users who subscribe to Apple Music can enjoy the service for free for the first three months before being charged $11.99 per month to continue their subscription. Everything you need to know about Apple Music They…

Microsoft’s new Surface Pro 4 has taken the versatile tablet to a new level with even more processing power and it’s all housed in a chassis that somehow is even more slender then ever. The tablet is pre-loaded with the Windows 10 operating system and it is just 8.4mm thick. Despite this slender design it still manages to fit a USB 3.0 port and a Mini Display port so connectivity isn’t an issue – although it would have been nice to have a second USB port. But still – one USB port is a lot more than you’ll find on…

Tune in to Episode 173 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast, hosted by editor Stephen Fenech, to stay updated and educated about the latest consumer tech news, gadgets and opinions. On this week’s show, how your smartphone can help find a cure for cancer while you sleep, self-driving cars on Australian roads could be here sooner than you think and the awesome new HP Star Wars-themed laptop. In the Tech Guide Reviews, we test drive the ZoomR self-balancing scooter along with the Laser wireless multiroom speaker and take aim in the latest Call of Duty game – Black Ops III.…

Luxury Swiss watchmaker TAG Heuer has entered the smartwatch market with a high-end device that is running the Android Wear operating system and powered by Intel technology. The TAG Heuer Connected smartwatch is made from grade two titanium and has a diameter of 46mm with a sapphire crystal touchscreen and featuring the Swiss company’s signature design and handcrafted precision. Priced at $US1,500 ($AU2,200), the TAG Heuer Connected smartwatch is obviously viewed as a premium device like its other watches. The company’s goal was to bring together TAG Heuer’s high quality watchmaking standards with the latest digital technology. TAG Heuer has…

They’ve been called hoverboards, self-balancing scooters, mini Segways and electric unicycles but one thing’s consistent about all of them – they’re popular and set to be the must-have gadget this Christmas. But not all of these products have been created equal. They’re currently pouring out of China with cheap models flooding eBay. Customers lured into buying one of these cheaper models have been hit with problems, poor performance and no after-sales service to rely on. Enter 3VOLV, a company based in Brisbane, who wanted to give customers a better product designed for use in Australia but also offer the after-sales…

Vodafone has partnered with the Garvan Institute of Medical Research to launch DreamLab – an app that gives your smartphone the power to help find a cure for cancer – and all while you’re sleeping. DreamLab is an Android that can pool the processing power of an idle smartphone and using that to help work through Garvan’s important research into Australia’s biggest killers – breast, ovarian, prostate and pancreatic cancer. With the added computing power from 100,000 smartphones running the DreamLab app, researchers would be able to crunch data 3,000 times faster than they are now. Each smartphone solves a…

Lowepro has been creating bags since the late 60s to safely carry around our delicate camera gear in comfort and that tradition continues with the latest wave of products for all of our computers, mobile devices and even drones. Tech Guide has been using the new Pro Runner RL x480 AWII and DroneGuard CS400. Both bags have Lowepro’s trademark sturdy yet lightweight design and organisational pockets and padded zones to fit in a surprising amount of gear and accessories. LOWEPRO PRO RUNNER RL x480 AW II – $399 The Lowepro Pro Runner bag is aimed at photographers who want to…

It’s Call of Duty season again and the latest instalment – Black Ops III – has just been released and it offers a slightly new approach to the first person shooter game that has the cinematic look and feel of a movie. The game is set in the year 2065 – 40 years after the event of Black Ops II – in a world where nations have developed sophisticated air defences and armies are made up of combat robots. Even the human soldiers have a touch of Robocop about them – more machine than flesh and blood. As usual, the…

Driverless cars could be seen on Australian roads by as soon as 2020 if state and territory governments changed their traffic laws, according to the managing director of Volvo Australia. Kevin McCann, speaking on the eve of the first Australian autonomous-driven Volvo car in Adelaide, says traffic laws need to be changed to keep up with the rapidly developing autonomous drive technology. “As the Adelaide trial will demonstrate, autonomous drive technology is here now,” Mr McCann said. “There will be roads where the technology is applicable and the autonomous features of the car can work effectively, for example on sections…

In anticipation of the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens next month, HP has unveiled a Star Wars themed laptop to provide a unique computing experience for die-hard fans. The HP Star Wars Special Edition laptop, created in collaboration with Disney and Lucasfilm, has a 15.6-inch display and was inspired by the Galactic Empire with a battle-worn distressed design. Galactic Empire is written in the unique Star Wars Aurebesh font on the hinge with stormtroopers decorating the keyboard. The laptop’s track pad also has a design that mirrors the X-Wing Fighter Guidance System and a red backlit keyboard completes…

Tech Guide has kicked off an exciting new competition that will give readers the chance to win an amazing 65-inch LG 4K Ultra High Definition smart TV that’s valued at $4,699. To enter the contest, which is run in conjunction with our friends at LG, you have to upload a colourful photo that shows off Australia. Then to increase your chances of winning, get your friends and family to like your photo and try to make it go viral. Our fabulous prize – the 65-inch LG UF850T 4K UHD smart TV, valued  – has a crisp and razor sharp picture…