Author: Stephen Fenech

If you’ve got a flat screen TV and are not happy with the sound quality, you can look at investing in a soundbar or you could take a look at the Bose Solo 15 Series II pedestal speaker. With just one connection to your TV, the Bose Solo 15 Series II can dramatically improve the audio of your viewing experience. And it sits unobtrusively under your TV’s stand. Measuring 62.9cm wide, 35.6cm long and just 7.6cm high, the Bose Solo 15 Series II can fit under most televisions with screens up to 50-inch. Under the hood are five drivers to…

Apple has just released the first major update to Apple Watch – watchOS2 – the new operating system that enables a host of new and useful features on the popular wearable device. One of the biggest improvements is the fact that Apple Watch apps can now run natively on the device to male it faster and more responsive. The other advantage, especially for developers, is that watchOS2 compatible apps can now take advantage of the Apple Watch hardware including the heart rate sensor, the digital crown, accelerometer, microphone and Taptic engine. To update your Apple Watch, connect your iPhone to…

The new iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus will go on sale at 8am in Sydney this Friday September 25 – the first place in the world where customers can get their hands on Apple’s anticipated new device. Just this week Apple also announced iOS 9 – a free update released for existing iPhone, iPad and iPad Touch users –  has become its most successful upgrade to date with more than 50 per cent of devices running the latest software. Australia will become the first place where the new iPhone will be available thanks to the time difference and will…

To stay updated and educated tune in to Episode 166 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast, hosted by editor Stephen Fenech, and hear about all the latest tech news, opinions and product reviews. On this week’s show, Apple’s significant court victory over Samsung, iOS 9 is available now for iPhones and iPads and why millennials are at most risk online. In the Tech Guide reviews, we take a look at the Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet, the new SanDisk memory products and the 3DR Solo drone. In the Tech Guide Help Desk, we let you in on all of the hidden…

Smartwatches are emerging as the latest growth category in technology – especially with giant companies like Apple and Samsung heavily invested in this space. But it seems the market might be moving too fast for the real world. These new wearables – especially the Apple Watch – are designed to integrate with the world around us. For travellers it’s a great accessory because it can be used as a boarding passes and to open hotel room doors. Before a recent flight from San Francisco to New York I had checked in to my flight and added the boarding pass to…

Sony’s Xperia range of tablets have always been pushing the envelope when it comes to their svelte proportions and its latest Xperia Z4 Tablet continues that tradition. It’s actually the world’s lightest and thinnest 10-inch tablet. With a thickness of just 6.1mm and weight of 393g, the Xperia Z4 Tablet is hardly going to weigh you down or take up too much room. These dimensions can only really be appreciated when you’ve got the product in your hands. When we first held the device, the slender proportions were an absolute standout. It has premium stainless corners and is made from…

Apple’s new iOS 9 software is here as a free upgrade and it offers iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch users a range of new features. But there are a number of hidden features included with this update as well. We’ve all heard about all of the main, more obvious enhancements but there are plenty that you might not notice. HOW TO INSTALL iOS 9 ON YOUR iPHONE OR iPAD Here are the hidden features of iOS 9: NEW BACK BUTTON Sometimes when using an app there is a link that takes us out of that app and into another. A…

The never-ending patent lawsuits against Apple and Samsung continue. The latest battle has seen a victory to Apple that could result in Samsung significantly changing their mobile devices to abide by this new ruling. The features in question include the slide to unlock functionality – and was part of a decision previously won by Apple. Samsung then had to pay monetary damages to Apple without changing their products. But Apple decided to pursue the matter further with the hope of an outright victory. Well, that victory has come with the US Appeals Court stating the “right to exclude competitors from…

SanDisk has expanded its memory line-up with solutions to meet the growing needs of the user including the Connect Wireless Stick which can stream content to up to three devices at the same time. Also released were new microSD cards that are waterproof, shockproof and X-Ray proof and now with capacities up to 200GB. The company also introduced the world’s first dual flash drive with a with a USB-C and USB 3.0 connector. Consumers today are demanding more memory than ever as they store and consume their content on the go. For smartphone users these SanDisk products are often supplementing…

Two Blokes Talking Tech Episode 225, with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long, deliver the latest tech news, reviews and opinions in a fun and informative way. On this week’s show, Apple’s pre-orders kick off for the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus and the blokes take a look at the plans offered by the telcos and offer their opinions on just how popular these devices will be. Also on the show, Tim Cook is a special guest star on the Late Show with Steve Colbert, Samsung releases its hero Galaxy Tab S2 tablet, the 3DR drone,…

If you have an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch you can upgrade to the latest iOS 9 software today for free to enjoy a range of new features. So how do you do it? Here is a step-by-step guide. The iOS 9 update can be installed either when your device is connected to your computer or on a wi-fi network. 1. The first thing you need to do is back up your iPhone either to your computer or to iCloud. You’d want to have a back-up of your device in the unlikely event that something may go wrong and your…

The next generation of drones was unveiled on Sydney Harbour with the new 3DR Solo making its maiden voyage over the iconic waterway to capture amazing pictures and videos. What sets the 3DR Solo drone apart is its computer-assisted flight and camera control. This onboard intelligence can help users capture professional looking footage and images. Onboard is a GoPro camera that is stabilised with a gimbal that can stream live video to an Android device or iOS device. For its first flight in Sydney, the 3DR Drone lifted off from Cockatoo Island and captured a 360 video of the island…

Episode 165 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast, hosted by editor Stephen Fenech, is the best way to stay updated and educated about the latest consumer tech news, reviews and opinions. On this week’s show, we take a look at the products unveiled at Apple’s launch event in San Francisco – the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus, the iPad Pro, the Apple TV and the updated Apple Watch. In the Tech Guide reviews, we take a look at Samsung’s Galaxy Note5 and Galaxy S6 edge+ smartphones and Sony’s Project Morpheus virtual gaming headset. In the Tech Guide Help Desk,…

Samsung has unveiled its follow up to the powerful and eye-catching Galaxy Tab S tablet – the Galaxy Tab S2 – which has an octa-core processor and a stunning Super AMOLED display. Available in two sizes – 8-inch and 9.7-inch – the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 is just 5.6mm thick with a bright and sharp screen with a resolution of 2048 x 1536. Under the hood is a generous 3GB RAM and an octa-core processor that’s made up of two quad core processors – a 1.9Ghz and a 1.3Ghz. The screen grabs the user’s attention from the outset and, with…

Is it a phone? A camera? Something else? We could get bogged down with terminology but here’s what I know for sure: within minutes of firing up Panasonic’s DMC-CM1 I was capturing snaps that had eluded me for years because my iPhone camera could not manage a satisfactory result with the same subject. So this review is something of a revelation, to me at least, in that it is possible to meld a high performance camera with a smartphone to produce a device that can satisfy a photographer who likes on occasion to use a smartphone, as opposed to a…

Pre-orders have opened for the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus after the telcos revealed their plans at the weekend. Tech Guide has put together every plan to make it easier for you to compare the best value and choose the one that’s right for you. The iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus are more expensive than last year’s models and that is reflected in the pricing. The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are still available but now only in 16GB and 64GB capacities. If you want a 128GB iPhone you have to go for the iPhone 6S and…

Apple’s launch event yesterday was one of the biggest in the company’s history and saw the release of the iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus, the iPad Pro and a brand new Apple TV but here are some questions our readers have been asking. 1. When will the new Apple products be available in Australia? The new iPhones go on sale on September 25 with pre-orders kicking off on September 12. The iPad Pro will be available in November and the new Apple TV will hit stores in late October. 2. Why are the new iPhones more expensive? The weaker Australian…

Episode 224 of the top-rating Two Blokes Talking Tech podcast, with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long, is coming to you from San Francisco from the Apple launch event. On this week’s show, the blokes talk about the Apple event which was held for the first time in the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. They delve into the new products which were revealed including the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus, the iPad Pro, the new Apple TV and the new Apple Watch products. Also on the agenda are some issues that came out of the event including…

On the same day the iPhone 6S and the iPhone 6S Plus were announced, case manufacturers were already showcasing their latest products. But will existing iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus cases fit the new iPhones? The iPhone 6S and the iPhone 6S Plus are 0.2mm thicker than last year’s iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. One of the first questions customers were asking was whether the existing cases would fit the new models. Australian case manufacturers have been in contact with Tech Guide to assure us that the existing cases will still fit the slightly thicker new devices. Proper,…

Tech Guide took a look at the new iPadPro and were stunned by the screen and the sheer size of the device. It dwarfs even the iPad Air 2 which isn’t small but is still just 6.9mm thick and the same weight as the original iPad released in 2010. This device is Apple’s shot across the bow to Microsoft who have been making ground with the Surface Pro 3 and the way it can be used as a laptop or a tablet. But the iPadPro doesn’t have a USB port, it doesn’t even have a USB-C port – the new…