Author: Stephen Fenech

Huawei latest P8 smartphone continues the Chinese company’s upward trend of devices that are challenging the major brands as the value alternative without compromising quality or features. The P8 has a 5.2-inch full high definition screen with a pixel density of 424ppi (pixels per inch) along with a 13-megapixel camera and 8-megapixel front camera. On the design side, the P8 looks like a premium device. It is made from a metal unibody which offers strength despite being just 6.4mm thick. That strength goes all the way to the screen with Huawei offering a 12-month free screen replacement if it is…

The iTunes Music Festival is back – but this year it will be called the Apple Music Festival and it will feature some of the world’s biggest chart-topping musical artists performing live in London’s iconic Roundhouse. The event will run over 10 nights and will kick off on September 19. The artist line-up will include Pharrell Williams, One Direction, Florence and The Machine and Disclosure. All of the performances will be broadcast live around the world for free so it can be viewed live or on demand on Apple Music. And fans can get even closer to the artists with…

This year’s NRL and AFL grand finals look like they will be broadcast in high definition on their respective regular free-to-air channels. And my first’s reaction is – it’s about bloody time! Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull tabled the Broadcasting Legislation Amendment (Primary Television Broadcasting Service) Bill 2015 in Parliament this week. It basically allows the national and commercial free-to-air broadcasters to deliver programming on their primary station in their choice of either standard definition or high definition. Until now, the primary channels – ABC1, SBS One, 7, 9 and 10 – have only been able broadcast in standard definition –…

Episode 222 – is the very last episode of the popular Two Blokes Talking Tech podcast, with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long, that you will hear – for the month of August. The blokes will be on opposite sides of the world next week and, with the different time zones, they will be unlikely be able to get online at the same time. The next episode – Episode 223 – will be recorded in Berlin where Stephen and Trevor will be attending the IFA tech trade show. On this week’s Episode 222, the blokes take a…

Mobile phone plans aren’t the easiest things to get your head around and Vodafone is trying to so something about that with what it is calling the biggest ever shake-up of its plans across the board. All new plans with Vodafone will now feature unlimited standard national calls and text and unlimited standard international calls to 10 countries – China, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, the UK and the US. Call to other countries are charged at a flat rate of $6 for 60 minutes. On the data side, Vodafone has also made some changes.…

After designing bags for years, STM co-founder Adina Jacobs has come up with an elegant and practical range of bags designed just for women to make it even easier for them to organise their digital lives and look good doing it. STM has a deep understanding about how people use their devices and how they can protect them. The successful Australian company has taken those learnings and combined it with its trademark protection and thoughtful design. The result is the Grace Collection. Women are as just as big fans and users of tech as men – they’re buying laptops, smartphones,…

What could be better than one Lumix camera to test? A second one – to make comparisons, and having the DMC-G7 and DMC-GX8 go head to head revealed something interesting, though not entirely surprising: a $500 difference between price tags counts for a lot. The main reason for the difference – the G7 is $899 and the GX8 is $1399 (body only prices) – is the sensor, with the GX8 housing a 20.3MP sensor against the G7’s 16.0MP light catcher. And this is the clincher because if you take a close look through each of these cameras’ spec sheets you…

It’s our biggest show ever for Episode 161 of the Tech Guide podcast, hosted by editor Stephen Fenech, which was recorded in New York while we were in town for the launch of Samsung’s new smartphones. We take a look at the new Galaxy S6 edge+ and Galaxy Note5 and also speak to Samsung vice president and head of mobile and IT Prasad Gokhale about the new devices. Also on the show Samsung teases the new Gear S2 smartwatch and we test drive the Volvo XC90 luxury SUV. We also run our eye over the OlloClip lenses that make your…

Samsung has announced the pricing and availability of its new top shelf smartphones – the Galaxy S6 edge+ and the Galaxy Note5 which were unveiled at a global launch event in New York last week. The devices, featuring a 5.7-inch quad HD Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 and 518ppi (pixels per inch). They are powered by a 64-bit octa-core processor and with 4GB RAM onboard. The Galaxy S6 edge+ has a curved screen and a thin design (it’s just 6.9mm thick) while he Note5 has a flat screen but a curved rear panel so it…

Star Wars fans counting down to the release of the new Star Wars Battlefront game in November have another reason to be excited with the news of a Darth Vader inspired PlayStation 4 system. The Star Wars-themed PS4 features an image of Darth Vader and a repeated etching of the Star Wars logo on the console. It is part of the bundle for EA’s Star Wars Battlefront which will include this latest game and a digital voucher to download four Star Wars games – Super Star Wars, Star Wars: Racer Revenge, Jedi Starfighter and Star Wars Bounty Hunter. https://youtu.be/lRYsWfVJido The…

We love our coffee and we love our tech and we were able to combine those passions when we took a look at the Nespresso Lattissima Touch – one of the most feature-packed machines on offer. The machine has quite a small footprint – it’s only about 17cm wide and 31cm long – so it’s not going to hog your kitchen bench space. It’s also available in three colours – Glam Red, Glam White and Glam Black. The Nespresso Lattissima Touch is made by Delonghi and gets its name from the bank of touch controls on top of the unit…

Tech Guide has spoken exclusively with Coby Persin – the prankster whose video showing how easy it is to lure underage girls on Facebook went viral and was watched more than 30 million times. We caught up with Persin, in New York as he was struggling to cope with his new-found fame and his media commitments since his YouTube video exploded a few days ago. Persin has been making prank videos for some time and he has more than a million subscribers on YouTube. But it’s his most recent video – the Dangers of Social Media (Child Predator Social Experiment)…

Star Wars fans – the Force is strong with this eye-catching product – an original trilogy lamp with a drawing of the film’s characters and vehicles by renowned Star Wars artists Steve Anderson and supported by three lightsabers. Officially licenced by Lucasfilm and available in a limited edition exclusively from Bradford Exchange, the Star Wars original lamp is 46cm tall. It has a custom made barrel lampshade with a picture that includes Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader and Princess Leia that rests on a hand-sculpted base. The base also features the Star Wars logo on a silver plaque. And the…

Samsung has teased its latest Gear S2 smartwatch at the launch of the Galaxy S6 edge+ and Note5 smartphones with a sizzle video ahead of the new device’s official unveiling at the IFA tech show in Berlin early next month. As Samsung was wrapping up the launch at the Lincoln Center in New York, Allana Cotton, Samsung vice president for product marketing, took the stage for the last time for one final reveal. From the teaser video which was shown, we were given a glimpse at the Samsung Gear S2 smartwatch’s design. It has a circular touchscreen with no other…

The first word that comes to mind when you’re using the Samsung’s new Galaxy S6 edge+ and the Note5 is power. The new devices have raised the bar for smartphones in terms of design and performance. Tech Guide was in New York for the launch of the S6 edge+ and Note5 smartphones and we had a chance to get up close to the devices for a hands-on review. Samsung has adopted a “go big or go home” attitude with these devices. With Apple’s launch of its latest iPhones rumoured to be less less than a month away, Samsung needed a…

Samsung has upped the ante in the smartphone market with the launch of its two most powerful devices ever – the Galaxy S6 edge+ and the Galaxy Note5 – which were unveiled at a global launch in New York City. Each device, expected to be released in Australia before the end of August, is as much about design as it about power and functionality. The timing of the event held at the Lincoln Center was also significant for Samsung as it gets in ahead of a rumoured Apple event on September 9 which will see the introduction of the new…

Tune in to the international edition of Two Blokes Talking Tech Episode 221, with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long, for a fun and informative look at the latest tech news and products. On this week’s show, Stephen is in New York for the Samsung Unpacked event where two new smartphones will be released. Also on the show, Optus Wi-Fi calling, the latest iPhone leaks and rumours, Laser battery for to charge your devices and jump start your car, the Buddy smart dog collar  and the high tech Volvo XC90 luxury SUV. In the minute reviews we…

If you love movies and also love getting a great deal, then you have to check out the Movie of the Day app from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment which offers a digital high definition movie each day priced at up to 75 per cent off. The app is available now for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch users and it offers the chance to add to your iTunes movie library every day. Movie fans can get a great deal on some of the biggest movies of all time including Die Hard, Alien, Planet of the Apes, The Sound of Music,…

Optus has introduced a new way for its phone customers to stay in touch with the launch of a new app that enables users to make and receive calls and text messages over a wi-fi connection. WiFi Talk makes it possible for users to stay in touch as long as they are connected to a wireless network. This is suitable when cellular coverage is limited indoors whether you’re at home, in your office or in a shopping centre. And, unlike some other apps, WiFi Talk lets customers still use their existing Optus mobile number. WiFi Talk users can use a…

Tune in to Episode 160 0f Tech Guide, the top-rating podcast hosted by editor Stephen Fenech that’s designed to keep you updated and educated about the latest consumer tech news and the latest products. On this week’s show, ransomware malware could target smartwatches, Telstra creates a dedicated area for wearables in their stores and Facebook takes on eBay with its new Buy and Sell section. In the Tech Guide, reviews we take a look at the Zagg foldable pocket keyboard, the Logitech MX Anywhere 2 mouse and the Swann DriveEye Ultra in-car dash cam. In the Tech Guide Help Desk…