Author: Stephen Fenech

Amazon has invited Australian investors and entrepreneurs to the Amazon Industrial Innovation Fund – a $US1bn venture program to support and directly invest in promising warehousing and supply chain technologies. The fund was created to encourage innovation and bring investors to the table to support startups and their technologies. It has now been opened to Australian entrepreneurs to get behind new and emerging technologies like Rightbot which has created a system to automate the unloading of containers and Instock which has designed a robotic storage and retrieval system with more efficient management of inventory. The Amazon Industrial Innovation Fund is…

Amazon has deployed its one millionth robot across its global network at the Amazon Fulfilment Centre in Tokyo – the same robots already in use in the Amazon Fulfilment Centres in Australia. Amazon also plans to increase its investment in Australia with a $30m pledge to create new delivery station technology. The robots used in Amazon fulfilment centres perform a number of tasks from processing, carrying, packaging and labelling items and assisting the thousands of frontline human employees in Amazon centres around the world. The fleet of robots is powered by a new software platform called DeepFleet which uses AI…

Ever wondered how the product gets to your doorstep after you click buy on Amazon? Tech Guide got a chance to look behind the scenes at the massive Amazon fulfilment centre at Chiba, Minato in Tokyo. Launched in 2023, the Chiba Minato FC has a total floor space of 120,000 square metres which is roughly the size of 140 football fields. The centre also features the latest Amazon robotics which enables the movement of product shelves to increase efficiency in the gigantic plant. In fact, the one millionth robot deployed by Amazon since they began in 10 years ago has…

Optus has announced it will be transferring it Premier League and Emirates FA Cup football rights to Stan for the remainder of the rights term so it can focus on providing better value for its telecommunications customers. Stan will offer discount pricing to Optus Sports customers who remain Optus telecommunication customers so they can still watch Premier League and other transferred content. There will also be other offers to Optus Sport customers who subscribe to Stan Entertainment and Stan Sport. Optus Sports will cease broadcasting on August 1. Optus will continue to supplement the rights payments along with Stan for…

Get on track with the latest episode of the popular show Two Blokes Talking Electric Cars – The EV Podcast – with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long. Stephen and Trev have been driving the KIA EV9 GT-line – it’s a big car. Does Trevor have any regrets on his choice? And we talk to Doreen who loves her golf and got herself a shiny new car, she tells us all about it. Returning caller David has finally made a decision, after several test drives while Jon discovers the upside of EV depreciation. If you’ve got a…

The podcast is turning 20 years old and is today in one of the most popular platforms that cover a variety of genres. In the early 2000s there were what were called at the time audioblogs which were audio programs that listeners could download to listen to at their leisure. The term podcast was coined by The Guardian journalist Ben Hammersley when he wrote “podcasting” in an article in February 2004 to describe the recording audio and offering it for download. Part of the name was derived from Apple’s iPod which was at the height of its popularity at the…

Rebellions are built on hope! This week on The Best Movies You’ve Never Seen we’re watching Rogue One – the first standalone Star Wars film. Rogue One tells the story of the Rebels who track down and steal the plans to the Empire’s brands new super weapon – the Death Star. You better believe Stephen saw Rogue One in the cinema and has rewatched it many, many times while Trevor is blasting off for the first time. We go through the memorable scenes and share some interesting facts, behind the scenes tidbits, trivia, fact v fiction and other things you…

Samsung has released its latest smart monitor – the M9 – a stunning 32-inch OLED monitor that can be used for work, gaming and entertainment. Tech Guide had a chance to sit down and take a look at the Smart Monitor M9 which combines a high-resolution 4K QD OLED display with a fast refresh rate and response times with Samsung’s brand new Vision AI features. What we saw was an impressive monitor that offers an amazing viewing experience whether you are hard at work, playing the latest game or kicking back enjoying the latest streaming TV shows and movies. The…

Get onboard with Episode 689 of the Two Blokes Talking Tech podcast with Tech Guide Editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long as they go through the week’s biggest tech stories and product announcements. On this week’s show, Stephen and Trevor discuss whether AI can detect the age of a child? Will “Age Assurance” Work? Trev has doubts. Plus the eSafety commissioner recommends YouTube not be singled out for an exemption – is anyone actually thinking this ban through? Also on the show, Samsung has confirmed its next big event, what will it be, when will it be and what…

Shokz had unveiled two new open ear headphones with a new ear-clip design which offer all-day comfort and impressive audio quality. The two news models are the OpenDots ONE and OpenFit 2+ with both offering the stylish clip-on design while still being able to stay aware of your surroundings. SHOKZ OPENDOTS ONE – $339 The Shokz OpenDots ONE are lightweight and compact so they can be comfortably worn all day and anywhere thanks to the IP54 water resistance. What adds to the featherweight design – each weighs just 6.5g – is the Shokz JointArc technology which connects the speaker and…

Leading home robotics brand ECOVACS has added another device to its family of robot cleaning products – the WINBOT W1S robotic window cleaner. The device features a range of new cleaning technologies including path planning and a new climbing system for more secure and stable movement on various types of glass. The WINBOT W1S Is designed to clean those hard to reach places as well as handling your windows, shower screens and other glass balconies and fences. The unit is priced at $479 for a limited time before returning to its usual price of $599. The WINBOT W1S includes a…

Epson, the leading seller of large ink tank printers with more than 100 million units sold globally, has released new updated multifunction models in the EcoTank range. There are four new additions to the popular and more sustainable EcoTank range which offer impressive productivity for homes and small businesses. One of the main reasons is the fact they come with up to two year’s worth of ink in the box so there’s no need to suddenly run out and top up supplies and ink cartridges. Compared to a laser printer, the Epson EcoTank printers are far more economical and use…

Make the smart play and take a listen to Episode 650 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast hosted by editor Stephen Fenech as he keeps you updated and educated about the latest consumer tech news and reviews. On this week’s show: Australians warned to stay alert for tax time scams, Apple has updated its parental controls for make it easier for our kids to have age-appropriate experiences and the Vera C Rubin observatory has released its first astro images and they are amazing. In the Tech Guide reviews – we check out new Meta Oakley AI glasses, Panasonic has released…

Samsung has confirmed its latest Unpacked launch event will take place on July 9 in Brooklyn, New York where we will be introduced to the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the Galaxy Z Flip 7 folding smartphones. Samsung’s teaser video and press release says an “Ultra Experience is ready to Unfold” which we assume is in reference to the new range of folding smartphones which will no doubt offer an updated Galaxy AI. This also adds to the speculation around the flagship Galaxy Z Fold 7 and whether it will be given the Ultra label to match the Galaxy S25…

The new Vera C Rubin Observatory – equipped with the world’s largest digital camera – has released its first astro images and they are stunning. Nestled in the Chilean Andes, the observatory has an 8.4m telescope with a field of view seven times the size of a full moon. The camera has a massive 3200-megapixel sensor and will be trained on the southern hemisphere skies to create the most complete image of the night sky. One of the first images released by the Vera C Rubin observatory was of the neighbouring Trifid and Lagoon nebulae which are 5,200 and 9000…

Get up to speed with the latest episode of the popular show Two Blokes Talking Electric Cars – The EV Podcast – with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long. Could the new management at BYD Australia bring the tiny Seagull to our shores? Could this be a sub $25,000 EV? Would the lack of a five star ANCAP put you off or would you consider the details of the rating? We speak to a BYD owner who’s driven plenty of Ks about his concerns about his battery. And Paul is back with thoughts on the Ford F150.…

Meta and Oakley have formed a partnership to release new AI glasses which will bring together Oakley’s signature design with the latest Meta wearable technology. The Oakley Meta HSTN not only looks slick but also lets you capture the action hands free through the built-in camera so you can share your unique point of view. You can also listen to your favourite music or podcasts through the open ear speakers which are integrated into the frames of the glasses. It also has an IPX4 water resistance rating so you can wear these glasses wherever and whenever you wore your regular…

What’s wrong with your face? I have AIDS. This week on The Best Movies You’ve Never Seen podcast we’re watching Philadelphia starring Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington. Philadelphia tells the story of a talented lawyer who, despite being groomed for bigger things in a prestigious law firm, is fired after it’s discovered he has AIDS. Stephen saw Philadelphia in the cinemas and has rewatched the film a few times while Trevor is coming at it for the very first time. We go through the memorable scenes and share some interesting facts, behind the scenes tidbits, trivia, fact v fiction and…

Get up close and personal with the Two Blokes Talking Tech  – Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long – in Episode 688 of the podcast that looks at the biggest tech stories and product reviews. The Trump Organisation has launched Trump Mobile – what is it and why? Can they really make a phone in the USA? Ads are coming to WhatsApp – what you should know and where they will appear plus the ever encroaching world of ads across even more subscription services. Optus cops a mega fine – what’s it all about and Telstra Satellite…

Adobe continues to lead with its impressive creativity tools with the introduction of Firefly’s new smartphone app which offers the ability to generate and edit images and videos on the move using AI. The Adobe Firefly app, available for both iOS and Android, can be used as a standalone product but also synced with Adobe’s Creative Cloud applications to extend your creative workflows. Users can generate assets across different media types and explore different AI models to suit their work. Users can maintain the look and style of their content with Style Reference and Structure Reference. With Generative Expand, it’s…