Author: Stephen Fenech

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…

The new Philips Fidelio B5 Soundbar allows you to enjoy a surround sound home theatre experience without going to the trouble of snaking cables around the room or spending hours setting it up. The Fidelio B5 includes the soundbar that rests in from of your TV along with a wireless 6.5-inch subwoofer. At first glance it looks just like most of the other soundbars on the market but if you take a closer look at the Philips products you’ll find the feature that sets it apart. The ends of the Fidelio B5 are actually detachable speakers which can be paired…

Two Blokes Talking Tech, with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long, dissect the latest tech news and run their eyes over the latest products in Episode 217 of the top-rating podcast. On this week’s show, the alarming stats about parents and how much they know about their children’s online activities, Sony’s new 4K Bravia TVs and home audio range and the signs that show you’re addicted to your smartphone. The blokes also discuss the Apple iOS 9 and OS X El Capitan beta programs, the Mercedes Benz that can be parked using a smartphone a remote control…

Apple has today launched a brand new iPod Touch along with a refreshed line-up of iPod models that now come in a range of new colours including space grey, silver, gold, pink and blue. The iPod category is still going strong for Apple and these latest products now offer even more choice and more power. The new iPod Touch has a 4-inch Retina display and now features an 8-megapixel iSight camera as well as a FaceTime HD camera for even higher quality selfies and video calls. It also comes with Apple’s fastest processor – the A8 (the same chip used…

Logitech has celebrated its brand transformation with a new logo and a range of attractive iPad cases that demonstrate its renewed product approach with new designs and engineering excellence. From now on, the products will simply be branded Logi and come in bright new packaging. First to hit the shelves with this new logo is the BLOK series of iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini cases and protective shells. The BLOK products, as the name suggests, don’t have rounded corners but square corners to provide added protection to the iPad where it needs it most in the event of a…

In the crowded world of smartphones the challenge for any manufacturer is to stand out from the crowd. LG has managed to do just that with the G4 – the company’s latest flagship smartphone. In the last two years LG has made some bold moves in the phone market. First it decided the only buttons for its G2 smartphone would be on the rear panel and then it followed it up with the under-rated G3 with a quad HD screen and a camera with laser auto focus. This time out the G4 offers one of the most advanced cameras ever…

Author and child rights activist Tara Moss is our special guest for Episode 156 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast where we discuss the importance of parents being aware of what their children are doing online. In our interview we talk with Tara about the Norton research that shows 74 per cent of parents are in the dark about what their kids get up to on the internet and discuss tips to help parents become more aware and deal with the online dangers. Also on the show, the new Mercedes Benz that can you can park remotely with a smartphone,…