Author: Stephen Fenech

Huawei has launched it new all-metal 5.2-inch flagship P8 smartphone in Australia that comes with the Huawei Screen Promise that offers a free screen replacement if the display is shattered in the first 12 months. It is the first time such a guarantee has been included with a smartphone in Australia. The Huawei P8 has an aluminium unibody with a premium finish along with a Gorilla Glass screen which can be replaced free if it breaks during the first year for customers who purchased the device between July 29 and December 31, 2015. The Australian release comes after a successful…

Computer gaming in Australia is alive and well according to the latest research from Digital Australia Report 2016 with gaming consoles in 98 per cent of homes with children under 18. The annual study from Bond University has revealed some surprising results including an increase in the number of parents who play computer games with their kids. “While the presence of video and computer games in Australian family homes remains stable, we’ve observed growth in the proportion of the population who plays, including parents who play with their children, which has increased from 86 per cent in 2013 to 90…

Tune in to Tech Guide Episode 158, hosted by editor Stephen Fenech, to hear the latest news headlines and product reviews from the tech world to stay updated and educated. On this week’s show: DrinkMate – the world’s smallest breathalyser, should you be worried about your car getting hacked and STM adds power to its popular laptop bags. In the Tech Guide reviews we take a look at the LG 4K Ultra High Definition OLED TV, the Logi Keyboard case for the iPad and the Bellroy iPhone case that’s a wallet as well. In the Tech Guide Help Desk, we…

If you’re looking to buy a drone you can either buy a toy or go all out and invest in a more expensive professional model but the Kaiser Baas Alpha Drone is hoping to be something in between. Priced at $199.95, the Alpha Drone is bigger than the mini drones mainly designed for indoor use yet smaller – and a lot cheaper – than the higher end drones like the DJI Phantom. Alpha Drone weighs just 109g and measures 33.1cm wide and 33.1cm long. It is made from lightweight plastic and has a range of about 60m. Onboard is a…

The iPad Air 2 is a pretty handy device but the BLOK keyboard case from reborn company Logi makes the device even more versatile whether you’re using it as a tablet or in place of your laptop. Logi is the new brand name for Logitech which has announced a new look and a new direction. The company’s new BLOK range of iPad cases have been built with protective ribbing and square shock-absorbing corners to keep the tablet safe and sound. The case’s construction makes it strong enough to withstand a drop from a height of about 1.8m onto a hard…

STM is already known for making excellent bags for your computers and gadgets but its latest bags just became even more useful and now include an onboard battery to keep your devices charged on the move. The Energy option is now available for some of STM’s most popular bags – Drifter backpack and the Bowery and Trust shoulder bags. Each has a discreet pouch to securely hold the specially designed 3500mAh rechargeable Joey energy supply. The battery has a smart power feature for high speed charging and automatically adjusts to the correct speed to power your device. It also has…

LG’s new 4K Ultra High Definition OLED TV almost sounds too good to be true. A TV that produces perfect black and vivid colours from a gently curved screen that’s thinner than the smartphone in your pocket. This television sets a new standard for the home viewing experience. For our review we took a look at both the 55-inch and 65-inch LG 4K UHD OLED TVs. LG is the only TV manufacturer that has mastered the extremely difficult task of producing larger OLED screens. And with the addition of Ultra HD 3840 x 2160 resolution – it forms a perfect…

A product smaller than a ChapStick that plugs into your iPhone and accurately reads your blood alcohol content (BAC) has just been unveiled on the Kickstarter crowd funding site and already exceeded its goal. Developed by Edge Tech Labs, DrinkMate is the world’s smallest breathalyser and connects to your iPhone’s Lightning port and, with the help the companion app, can tell you the level of alcohol in your blood stream. Users simple blow into the end of the DrinkMate and, after a few seconds, the iPhone’s screen displays the BAC reading. Now if you’ve had a drink or two you…

Episode 218 of the Two Blokes Talking Tech podcast, with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long, provides a fun and informative look at the tech stories and products making headlines. On this week’s show, the blokes talk about the Jeep Cherokee that hackers took control of in the US, why SIM cards could be a thing of the past and Parrot’s new range of mini drones and robot for air, land and the water. Also on the program, Telstra’s 4G in-car pre-paid wi-fi dongle, Australia’s Apple Store number 22 about to open and the progress of the…

It’s one thing to have your computer hacked when you’re sitting behind your desk but imagine someone comprising the computer in your car when you’re doing 100km/h on the highway. That’s exactly what happened to Wired journalist Andy Greenberg when he was driving a Jeep Cherokee on a freeway on the outskirts of St Louis. The air conditioner started blasting cold air, his radio station was changed and blaring at full volume and his windscreen wipers were turned on before the brakes were applied and he was left stranded in a ditch. But the thing is – he knew it…

Here come the drones! Parrot has revealed the latest mini drones that will hit the market later this year that have new designs, new capabilities and that can travel in the air, on the ground and even in the water. There are 13 new drones heading our way in September and ready to satisfy the growing customer demands for these devices. The mini robots can be controlled via a free app called Free Flight 3 on our smartphones and tablets. The latest range of products have been split up into three main groups. THE JUMPING https://youtu.be/ybCBgazhmjM These models can roll,…

SIM cards might soon go down the same path as tube TVs and floppy disks and become a thing of the past with Apple and Samsung leading the push to abolish the chip and replace it with an e-SIM. A new electronic SIM – short for Subscriber Identification Module – is being developed by the electronics giants with the companies working on a common technology. This would eliminate the need for a physical SIM card that has been used since ever since mobile phones were introduced. Instead the e-SIM would be a module built into the product to allow the…

Apple will launch its 22nd store in Australia on Saturday when it opens its doors in Miranda. This comes in the same week the company announced a quarterly profit of more than $14bn. Located in the Westfield Shopping Centre, the Miranda Apple Store will have its grand opening at 10am on July 25 and employ more than 100 people. As is tradition, the first 1000 customers will receive a highly collectable commemorative t-shirt. In the second quarter of 2015, Apple revealed it had sold 47.5 million iPhones which is up from 35.2 million the same quarter last year. Mac sales…

HP has revealed its stylish new 2015 range of laptops, convertibles and desktop computers that are all compatible with the upcoming release of the new Windows 10 operating system on July 29. The line up includes Pavilion x2, Pavilion X360, the 15.6-inch Envy laptops plus Pavilion All-In-One desktops and the Envy Phoenix Tower gaming computer. These products are designed to be used on the go, in the home, in schools or in the workplace. They also feature colourful modern designs and excellent audio output thanks to a partnership with B&O who designed the speakers for each device. HP PAVILION x360s…

You’re one click away from listening to Episode 157 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast, hosted by editor Stephen Fenech, so you can stay updated and educated about the latest tech news and reviews. On this week’s show, SwannOne solution to turn your place into a smart home, Kogan releases affordable dual SIM Agora Lite Android smartphone and how Telstra can turn your car into a wi-fi hotspot. In the Tech Guide reviews we check out the Jawbone UP3 activity band, the LG G4 smartphone and the Philips Fidelio B5 soundbar that converts into a surround sound system. In the…

We already carry around our phones but wouldn’t it be good if we could leave our wallet at home? Bellroy, the company that makes slim wallets, has created a product that combines a phone case with a wallet. Bellroy has created two iPhone cases that can also hold cash and credit cards along with a regular wallet and travel wallet that can hold cards cash and a spare SIM card. Usually wallets have space enough for your cash and credit cards, but Bellroy has taken tech-savvy users into consideration and made a spot to store a loose SIM card. BELLROY…

Kogan has revealed its latest smartphone – the Agora Lite – a dual SIM Android device that’s designed for travellers and anyone in the market for an entry-level device at an affordable price. The device has a 5-inch IPS (in-plane switching) LCD screen (854 x 480 pixels), a 1.3Ghz quad-core processor and a 5-megapixel rear camera with flash and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. It is 14.3cm long, 7.4cm wide and 1cm thick. The Agora Lite, which is priced at just $129, is running Android 5.0 Lollipop operating system and has 1GB RAM and 8GB of internal storage that’s expandable by…

When Jawbone released its original UP band it kickstarted the wearable activity tracker market. The company has just released the UP3 but the difference today is the level of competition from other fitness bands and smartwatches. Like the earlier models, Jawbone’s UP3 can track all of your activities, monitor your sleep and log your calorie intake. But this time out it has a sleek new design and bioimpedance sensors to measure your heart rate. But the challenge for the Jawbone UP3 is the sheer number of other devices that can do the same thing. There are plenty of products that…

Australians can now turn their vehicle into a wireless hotspot with the release of the Telstra Pre-Paid 4GX Car Wi-Fi to allow passengers to stay connected on the go or on a road trip. Anyone travelling with young kids can forget playing Eye Spy and now connect up to five devices to the internet at high speed through Telstra’s 4G network and even faster in 4GX areas. The device plugs into the car’s USB slot or 12-volt power outlet to create a wi-fi hotspot. The Telstra device is not limited to the car either. The 4GX Car Wi-Fi also comes…

Swann – a company best known for its monitoring products – has launched a new connected smart home solution called SwannOne that offers both security and convenience. The system will allow users to control their home’s lighting, temperature, alarms and energy consumption as well as view security camera feeds all via your smartphone or tablet. SwannOne is powered by a Smart Hub that allows users to add devices like Swann’s security cameras, window and door sensors, motion sensors, thermostats and smart plugs. The system can also connect with compatible products like smart locks and connected lighting systems. Using the SwannOne…