Author: Stephen Fenech

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.…

Netgear has just released its latest high definition security camera, the Arlo Q, that links to your home wi-fi network so you can keep an eye – and an ear – on your property. The Arlo Q joins the popular Arlo wire-free battery powered weather proof camera that can be used inside and out. Arlo Q is designed to be used inside only and it also needs to be plugged in to a power point. So with that constant supply of power, there’s no need to conserve the batteries as it would be with the Arlo wire-free cameras, so it…

Samsung’s new Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge are the best smartphones the company has created and combine sleek design, a range of remarkable features and excellent performance into each device. Unveiled at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona a couple of weeks ago, the S7 and S7 Edge go on sale in Australia on Friday after enjoying healthy pre-order sales. The world’s number one smartphone maker had found its mojo again after the disappointment of last year’s Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge which were not waterproof and had no expandable memory. These were the features that endeared customers to the…

Tech Guide Episode 189 is right here, hosted by editor Stephen Fenech, to keep you updated and educated about the latest consumer tech news, reviews and opinions. On this week’s show, Freeview developing a mobile app to watch any channel anywhere on the go, dealing with the issue of pedestrians distracted by their mobiles, strong pre-sales for the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge and the high cost of some virtual reality devices. In the Tech Guide reviews, we talk about the new LG 4K flat OLED TV and the new drones from Parrot – the Bebop 2 – and DJI…

The notion that decent active noise cancelling headphones have to be expensive has been shattered by Philips who has come up with a quality wireless pair for less than $200. Active noise cancelling headphones can set you back up to $500 and they are usually the wired versions. But Philips has come along with a value pair –  the SHB8850NC – which have a comfortable design with soft earpads and a padded headband. There are 32mm neodymium drivers onboard plus a closed-back acoustic design and a soft seal for passive noise cancellation when you put them on. At the press…

There are strict laws for drivers when it comes to smartphone usage but the laws are about to shift to include pedestrians to clamp down on mobile distraction when crossing the road. The Australian Pedestrian Council is looking to double the penalty for people who cross the road without “due care and attention” to $200. The reason they don’t have that “care and attention” is because often they are looking down at their phone or typing instead of looking at the traffic situation around them. According to a new national road safety report there was a 40 per cent increase…

Soon you’ll be able to take all of the free-to-air TV channels anywhere with a new FreeviewPlus mobile app to live stream your favourite shows or catch up on content on your smartphone. Freeview announced a new program of innovation which will kick off with upgrading Freeview Plus to give viewers even more features and functionality which will be rolled out this year. And in a world-first, all of the free-to-air networks will work together to produce the new FreeviewPlus mobile streaming app. “We have an exciting year ahead in free-to-air television and the spirit of progress and collaboration will…

LG’s range of 4K OLED TVs has been a huge hit but the line-up just received a boost with the launch of the impressive EF950T series that has made an already truly excellent TV even better. It is the first flat OLED TV the company has released and the first OLED with HDR (high dynamic range) onboard. OLED (organic light emitting diode) has been LG’s trump card in the competitive TV market with the technology providing a truly stunning picture. Blacker blacks, bright and accurate colours and amazing contrast that adds up to a picture that you have to see…

Parrot has revealed the latest Bebop 2 drone that’s a vast improvement over the original with new features and sensors that will making flying it easier – even if you’re a beginner. The Bebop 2 is 38.2cm wide and 32.8cm long with a robust body and flexible arms and it has an embedded fish eye camera in the nose that’s capable of capturing full high definition video and 14-megapixel images which are stored on the internal 8GB memory. The camera lens has a neutral angle which has been adapted to shoot more ground and less sky. It offers a lot…

Star Wars The Force Awakens will be hitting Blu-ray Disc and DVD in April and Disney has released the list of extra features list which will include a full-length documentary and deleted scenes. The film will be available in Australia from April 1 on Digital HD and on Blu-ray Disc and DVD on April 13. Directed by JJ Abrams, The Force Awakens set box office records in the US and around the world and home viewers will not only be able to see the movie but also a host of extra features including behind-the-scenes footage and deleted scenes. There is…

Two Blokes Talking Tech Episode 245, with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long, delivers all the latest tech news and views in a fun yet informative way. On this week’s show, the DJI Phantom 4, Telstra’s bonus online storage for customers and Amaysim adds data to its plans – but there is a catch. Also on the program, rumours about a cheaper iPhone are growing, Telstra’s streaming bonus for NRL and AFL fans, 7-Eleven’s Fuel app and the new Tesla feature that Australian drivers won’t be able to use. In the minute reviews, we take a look…

Samsung has revealed pre-orders for its highly anticipated Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge smartphones ahead of their March 11 launch date are the highest ever for a Samsung device. Pre-orders kicked off last week with plans revealed from Telstra, Optus, Vodafone and Virgin Mobile. Tech Guide understands orders for the S7 and S7 Edge are more then double the pre-orders Samsung received last year for the S6 and S6 Edge. One thing that has helped increase pre-order sales was the offer of a bonus Gear VR headset for every customer who reserved their device. The Galaxy S7 and Galaxy…

Amaysim has come out swinging and added even more data and international calling to its SIM only plans for customers who already own their smartphone – but there is a catch. The company was trumpeting the fact that users would get even more data – up to 2GB extra – with no lock in contracts as well as unlimited calls from Australia to China, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, the UK and USA. And while Amaysim clearly stated the new plans would now renew every 28 days instead of 30 days – it didn’t point…