Author: Stephen Fenech

Get updated and educated with the latest consumer tech news and reviews with Episode 145 of the top rating Tech Guide podcast, hosted by editor Stephen Fenech. On this week’s show we take a look at the Apple Watch – our review of the device, the apps you can download and what you need to do to buy it. Also on the program, Whole Pantry app developer Belle Gibson admits she lied about having cancer and Microsoft will open its first flag-ship store outside of North America in Sydney. In the Tech Guide reviews we take look at Beats Solo…

Microsoft, once known as mainly a software company, has been busy on the hardware front lately with its Surface tablets and its latest – the Surface 3 – may well be its most popular ever. We’ve already seen three iterations of the Surface Pro family of powerful tablets that were heavily marketed as a cool laptop replacement. Price-wise these devices were more than $2000 at the top end and they were out of the range of ordinary users But Microsoft listened to its customers who were crying out for a product that was more in their price range. The result…

Apple Watch has all of the hallmarks of a typical Apple product – it is beautifully and thoughtfully designed, it takes an existing category and completely transforms it and it just works. Apple Watch is the company’s first new product category for five years and its most personal yet. It is not stowed in your pocket or in your bag – you wear it. Apple products have been strong in the looks department and Apple Watch confidently continues this trend. But as eye-catching as it is, it is also functional and, once again, Apple Watch ticks this box. The device…

Small, lightweight, compact, pocketable. Takes a decent pic. Has a big zoom range. Affordable but not cheap and nasty. If that’s how you describe your next camera purchase, Panasonic’s Lumix DMC-TZ70 should fit the bill pretty nicely. The TZ70’s 30x optical zoom is its killer feature. Lightweight and easy to stow and carry are desirable characteristics for a travel camera but when you toss in the versatility that a 30x zoom adds, you’re on to a winner. It brings some pretty decent imaging into the mix with some crisp JPEGs coming off the card. Certainly, if I were this camera’s…

The Apple Watch goes on sale today with Australia the first country in the world to receive them ahead of the US thanks to the time difference. But if you’re thinking about walking in to buy one in an Apple Store today, you’ll be disappointed. Stock has been sold out during the two-week pre-order period. As a result there was no line of eager customers outside the store as we usually see with iPhone and iPad launches. If you walked into a store today to buy an Apple Watch you’ll be directed by staff to one of the many computers…

The highly anticipated Apple Watch goes on sale today and while there are plenty of Apple’s own apps on the device there are also more than 3,000 third party apps ready to install now. Apple cleverly made the WatchKit available six months ago to allow developers plenty of time to have their apps ready to go from launch day. And Apple Watch apps aren’t all just a shrunken down version of the iPhone app. They take into account the screen size, the use of the digital crown and, of course, the fact it is positioned on your wrist and easier to…

Episode 205 of the top-rating Two Blokes Talking Tech podcast, with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long, is your entertaining snapshot of the most important tech topics of the week. On this week’s show, Microsoft heading to Sydney to open the first flagship store outside North America, the new law that could make VPNs illegal and our thoughts on the 12-inch MacBook. Also on the program, The Whole Pantry app creator Belle Gibson admits she lied about her terminal brain cancer and Yahoo7 research on our TV viewing habits. In the minute reviews, Stephen takes a look…

Amaysim, the virtual mobile network operator, has added even more data to its unlimited 4G plans and kept them at the same price to offer connected customers even more value. Amaysim customers now have the choice of two unlimited 4G SIM only plans for those who already own a smartphone. These is the unlimited talk and text plus 7GB of data – up from 6GB – for $54.90 a month and a 5GB plan – up from 4GB – for $44.90 a month. Amaysim has also introduced a plan aimed at younger users who hardly make calls but send plenty…

Disgraced blogger Belle Gibson, creator of The Whole Pantry wellness app who was given early access by Apple to adapt her creation for the Apple Watch, has admitted she lied about having terminal cancer. When asked if she ever had cancer, Ms Gibson – in an interview with the Australian Woman’s Weekly – said: “No. None of it’s true”. She is described as “the girl who conned us all” on the cover of the magazine which goes on sale tomorrow (April 23). “I don’t want forgiveness,” Ms Gibson says in the Weekly’s interview which was conducted without payment and under…

Our TV viewing habits have certainly evolved in the last few years with new research showing viewers watch their favourite programs across a number of devices. The annual Yahoo7 Companion TV Survey interviewed more than 1,000 Australians online and showed that almost one in four (24 per cent) watch their shows across multiple products – a seven per cent jump from 2013. And it’s the 16-34 age group that is leading the charge with one in two (52 per cent) regularly watching TV using a laptop, tablet, smartphone and gaming consoles. This is a 17 per cent jump since 2013.…

If you really want to unleash your music then listening to the Beats Solo 2 Wireless headphones is a great way to do it with excellent sound and no cables to get in your way. The headphones connect to your smartphone via Bluetooth and work within a 10-metre range so you can stay connected to your music – and any phone calls – while the device is still in your pocket or your bag. Dr Dre knows a thing or two about creating excellent headphones and he brings that to the table with the Beats Solo 2 Wireless. On the…

Sydney’s popular Pitt Street Mall will become the site for Microsoft’s first flagship store outside of North America when it opens just in time for Christmas. Located at the main entrance to Westfield Sydney mall and next to Sephora, the new Microsoft store will have more than 6,000 square feet of retail space over two floors. The store will allow customers to experience the full breadth of Microsoft’s product offerings including Windows 8 PCs, Surface devices, Windows Phones and the Xbox One gaming console. Also included in the new store will be an Answer Desk where customers can connect with…

Tune it to Episode 144 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast, hosted by editor Stephen Fenech, to stay updated and educated about the latest tech news and reviews. On this week’s show, new Australian anti-piracy laws could see VPNs (virtual private networks) become illegal, Belkin unveils its latest WeMo products into its home automation ecosystem and we share our thoughts on the new Star Wars teaser trailer. In the Tech Guide reviews we take a look at the 12-inch MacBook, the Mophie Juice Pack to keep your smartphone charged on the go and the Kobo Glo HD e-reader which has…

Kobo has released its latest e-reader – the Glo HD – that offers a sharp print on paper experience and a number of new features to make your reading even more enjoyable. Due for release on May 1, the Kobo Glo HD has a six-inch Carta E Ink HD touchscreen with the highest resolution screen on the e-reader market at 1448 x 1072 – that’s 300ppi (pixels per inch). In comparison the Kindle Paperwhite has a resolution of 758 x 1024 at 212ppi. Type on the Kobo Glo HD’s screen is sharp and clear for comfortable reading. The Kobo Glo…

Smartphone battery power is a valuable resource especially for users on the go and Mophie has released new charging cases for the iPhone 6 and the larger iPhone 6 Plus. When your smartphone’s battery runs low, not everyone has the time to sit next to a power point while it’s recharging. This is why the new Mophie Juice Pack for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus is so useful for people on the move that rely on having their devices by their side day and night. The Mophie Juice Pack is both a protective case and a battery pack and…

Star Wars fans across the world are rejoicing with the release of the second teaser trailer for Episode VII – The Force Awakens which gives us our first look in more than 30 years at Han Solo and Chewbacca. The one minute 59 second trailer opens with a shot of a desert world – named by director JJ Abrams as Jakku and not Tatooine – with a crashed X-Wing in the foreground and a crashed star destroyer in the background will a speeder races across the sand in between. Why was there an epic battle above Jakku between the remnants…

When people see new Apple products for the first time there’s often an interesting reaction – amazement, excitement and desire. And that’s exactly how people reacted when they saw Apple’s new 12-inch MacBook. The latest MacBook is in a class of its own – it’s not a MacBook Air (even though it’s thinner) and it’s not a MacBook Pro. And it’s also the only Apple laptop computer with a 12-inch screen. The new 12-inch MacBook is a real feat of engineering. Despite its svelte appearance, the device is still brimming with innovative features and offers impressive performance. It seems like…

Take a tour of the latest tech with Episode 204 of the top-rating Two Blokes Talking Tech podcast with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long. On this week’s show, Samsung announces pricing and availability for its new 2015 range of smart TVs, Symantec’s alarming internet security threat report, the latest car tech and Trevor’s cruise in the latest Rolls Royce. Also on the program, the blokes talk about Apple’s upcoming Worldwide Developer’s Conference where selfie sticks are banned and the Optus surprise for its customers watching Netflix. In the minute reviews, we take a look at the…

Belkin has launched two more products in the WeMo home automation range to provide even greater control and also gain valuable understanding about your energy use. The two products are WeMo Maker, which is available now, and the Insight Switch which will be available in Australia in the coming months. WeMo’s home automation ecosystem already includes switches, sensors, light switches and light bulbs which can controlled remotely and also programed to create various outcomes or scenarios using the WeMo smartphone and tablet app. WeMo Maker takes that a step further and is a switch that you can adapt to control…

Apple has announced the data and location of its annual Worldwide Developers Conference where app creators from around the world gather to see the future of the OS X and iOS operating systems. CEO Tim Cook will kick off proceedings on June 8 at the Moscone West centre in San Francisco with a keynote address that will outline the next version of the Mac and iPhone and iPad software. And with the imminent release of the Apple Watch, it will also provide another avenue for development. As has been the case in the past, there may also be new product…