Author: Stephen Fenech

Get the lowdown on the latest tech news, reviews and opinions with Episode 172 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast, hosted by editor Stephen Fenech who keeps his listeners updated and educated. On a packed show this week we take a look at the SIM only plans that are competing for your business, the headphone brand that has topped the customer satisfaction survey and Channel Nine to start broadcasting its primary channel in high definition. In the Tech Guide Interview, we catch up with champion hurdler, hip swinging YouTube sensation and new Philips ActionFit earphones ambassador Michelle Jenneke. In the…

Samsung has just released the new R Series wireless speaker range that offers 360-degree sound and top shelf audio quality that was developed at the company’s new Los Angeles audio labs. The R Series speakers have a tubular design that incorporates Samsung’s ring radiator technology so the sound is sent out in all directions. And they all have Bluetooth and wi-fi onboard so they can be controlled wirelessly in any room of your home with an app that’s available for iOS and Android devices. The speakers also have a control interface on the circular top panel to navigate your music…

It’s Melbourne Cup time – the race that stops a nation – so Microsoft has put Bing to work to predict the winner by analysing historical statistics, performances and other contributing factors. Bing Predicts has also taken into account the expected track conditions which will be cross referenced with corresponding races the horses have run in similar conditions. Also included in the assessment were web activities and social updates to strengthen the quality of the prediction while capturing other information like injuries, controversies and other changes that may affect the outcome. So with all of that in mind. Bing Predicts…

Amaysim has responded to the competition in the SIM only mobile plan market by adding more data and simplifying its offerings in an effort to reduce worry and confusion for its customers. According to the latest Galaxy Research, 58 per cent of Australian mobile customers say simple cost structure was essential while half of those surveyed said they could probably get a better deal if they shopped around. Amaysim, the fourth largest mobile service provider in Australia, has made unlimited standard talk and text and unlimited international SMS and MMS standard across all of its plans which start at $24.95…

Who hasn’t ever dreamed of being a rock star and showing off their awesome guitar skills in front of a capacity crowd? For those of us who didn’t achieve this for real – we’ve got Guitar Hero Live. The popular music game is back but it has been revamped right down to the guitar itself. And, unlike the first game, players have the choice of playing to a live audience or to the music video of some of the best songs ever recorded. The guitar is not quite full size but still big enough to comfortably play. It comes with…

Two Blokes Talking Tech Episode 230, with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long, is here to deliver a comprehensive wrap of the latest news and product reviews. On this week’s show, PlayStation VR –when it’s coming and what can we expect, Apple TV pricing and Apple Pay finally coming to Australia before the end of the year. Also on the agenda, Garmin GPS alert device for cyclists, Channel 9 to broadcast in HD, ad funded mobile credit with Lebara Mobile and Woolies are on Minecraft. In the minute reviews, Stephen takes a look at the Moto X…

Headphones and earphones are one of the most popular tech products with customers and Canstar Blue has just released a customer satisfaction survey that reveals Australia’s favourite brand. The survey was split into two categories – one for headphones and one for earphones – and conducted among 1,255 adults who purchased new headphones or earphones in the last two years. The respondents were asked to rate the products in a number of categories – value for money, comfort, sound quality, design, weight, audio enhancements and overall satisfaction. After the results were tallied, Bose emerged as the clear winner in both…

The new Apple TV – called the future of TV by Apple CEO Tim Cook when it was unveiled in September – is now available to buy. And it’s bigger, better and smarter than the previous model. Apple TV can enhance a user’s experience with the best and biggest screen in the house. And it does that by introducing apps to the TV via an all-new tvOS – an operating system that will allow developers to create apps optimised for the big screen. iTunes, Netflix, Tenplay, Stan are apps we’ve already used with Apple TV but the 2015 model takes…

Garmin, a leader in GPS and wireless sports devices, has unveiled an all-new vivosmart HR activity tracker that can monitor your heart rate and your daily activities and deliver notifications from your smartphone. The Garmin vivosmart HR is a comprehensive update of the previous model and has a larger always-on display that can be read even in the brightest sunlight. It has also added the Elevate wrist heart rate technology sensor to track your heart rate 24/7 whether you’re working out, at rest or asleep. The device also measures steps, distance travelled and calories and can even tell how many…

In a world where there are so many Android smartphones, the challenge for manufacturers is to stand out from the crowd and that’s exactly what Motorola has set out to do with the Moto X Style. Our smartphones are with us all the time and for many they have become a stylish accessory. The Moto X Style thinks outside the box when it comes to the look of the device. Nearly every phone on the market is made out of glass, plastic and steel. Looking at the device’s screen, the Moto X Style looks similar to other phones on the…

Channel 9 will broadcast high definition on its primary channel and launch a new lifestyle channel and a digital streaming service as part of a major plan to revamp the way it delivers its programs. “The New Nine” was unveiled at an upfront event today where the Nine Entertainment Co outlined its ambitious plans. NINEHD It’s been a long time coming but Nine has responded to viewer requests to offer more mainstream programming in high definition. As of November 26, the main Nine channel will now be simulcast in HD on Channel 90 with Gem moving to Channel 92with Go…

Apple Pay is coming to Australia before the end of the year with American Express the first company to offer its members the ability to pay on the go with an iPhone, Apple Watch or the iPad. American Express card holders will be able to add their eligible consumer, small business and corporate cards to Apple Pay. Customers can then pay with their iPhone and Apple Watch in stores where contactless payments and American Express cards are accepted. It will also be possible for card holders to pay within participating merchant apps. “Our customers love their experience with Apple Pay…

Get the lowdown on the latest tech news, reviews and opinions with Episode 171 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast hosted by editor Stephen Fenech who keeps listeners updated and educated about the latest consumer technology. On this week’s show Google reveals pricing and availability of the Nexus 5X and the Nexus 6P, are we getting the message about mobile recycling and Sonos releases new speaker tuning software and an all-new top-of-the-line speaker. In the Tech Guide Reviews, we check out the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2, the new UE Boom 2 speaker and the ALLDOCK charging station. In the Tech…

Google has announced the pricing and availability of its latest Nexus smartphones – the 5X and the 6P – which are the first devices to run the new Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system. The 5X – created by LG – has a 5.2-inch full high definition screen while the 6P, manufactured by Huawei, boasts a 5.7-inch WQHD AMOLED display. Both devices will available to purchase outright or on a plan on November 3. They are the first devices to be running Google’s latest Android 6.0 operating system Marshmallow. Each device has a 12.3-magapixel camera capable of shooting 4K video along…

The UE Boom Bluetooth speaker literally made a big noise when it was introduced two years ago and now the follow-up – the UE Boom 2 – is taking it to the next level. The tubular UE Boom 2 speaker from Logitech looks almost identical to the original and it can stream your music from your mobile device via Bluetooth over a range of about 30m. It is 18cm tall with a 6.7cm diameter and weighs in at 548g. It is made from durable plastic with a tightly woven stainproof fabric cover over the speakers that can repel dirt and…

We love our mobile devices, smartwatches and activity trackers but when it comes to charging them it’s a mess of cables and a fight over the power point. That’s where the ALLDOCK multi-device dock and charge station comes in. It is a solution that puts all of your cables and chargers in one tidy box with openings to neatly dock your devices. And the stylish 2015 unit – available in bamboo and walnut – has a single connection to a power point to power the whole thing ALLDOCK’s current model is already for sale on its website but the company…

Sonos, the company behind the popular smart multiroom speakers, has unveiled new software to improve its existing range and revealed a brand new product that raises the bar in sound quality and versatility. Truplay is the new speaker-tuning software that can optimise the sound no matter where the speaker has been placed. Sonos customers place their speakers in various places around their homes in places that are hardly acoustically perfect. Truplay is part of the updated Sonos app and uses the microphone on the iPhone or iPad and a tone emitted by the speaker to analyse how the sounds reflects…

The Force is strong with the Two Blokes Talking Tech in Episode 229 of the top-rating podcast as Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long discuss the top tech news and products of the week. On this week’s show, Kogan Mobile is back, Telstra TV unveiled and when the NBN rollout is coming to your suburb. Also on the program, the blokes chat about what Back to the Future II got right and wrong about 2015 and take a look at the Star Wars The Force Awakens official trailer. Stephen and Trevor also talk about the app named…

Apple has released the first major update for iOS 9 for the iPhone and iPad that has some new features including the News app, more than 150 new emoji characters and an improvement for Live Photos. To download the update, go to Settings > General > Software Update and you should see iOS 9.1 to download and install. Once installed you will see a brand new Apple app called News. This is a news gathering app that allows users to specify the publications and subjects they want to hear about. It then takes this information and tailors the feed within…

Samsung’s stunning Galaxy Tab S2 is the world’s thinnest and lightest tablet. And if that’s not enough it also has a truly dazzling Super AMOLED display to give users a crystal clear view of their content, websites and apps. Available with an 8-inch or 9.7-inch display, the device is just 5.6mm thick but you really have to hold it in your hands to appreciate how thin it actually is. It is super thin yet still has room for a microSD card slot and a SIM card. And it only weighs 272g (8-inch) and 392g (9.7-inch). We had the 9.7-inch 4G…