Author: Stephen Fenech

Are you addicted to your smartphone? The device has become a valuable addition to our lives and lets us keep in touch, stay informed and entertained – but can you spend time away from it? Or are you in a panic if you don’t have it? If you identified with the latter, it is one of the many signs of smartphone addiction. Others include getting into trouble for using it whether you’re a student or at work and looking at the device just before you go to sleep and first thing when you wake up. But physical effects like neck…

Sony has launched a range of new products for the modern home including the latest Bravia 4K Ultra HD TVs and impressive audio systems to hear your music how and where you want in high quality. BRAVIA TV The new flagship Bravia TVs – the X9000C and X9100C – have a head-turning ultra thin design – the thinnest Sony has ever produced. At its thinnest point these new TVs are even thinner than your smartphone. Below the surface, the new Sony 4K TVs include the new X1 processor that can deliver enhanced clarity, colour and contrast. And when combined with…

Mercedes Benz has come up with a new way to park your car – by using your smartphone as a remote control.  The new parking technology was demonstrated on its next generation E Class. The self parking feature means the driver can stand outside the car and remotely pilot the vehicle into a parking space using an app on their smartphone. It is ideal for manoeuvring the car in and out of tight parking spaces that would have been impossible for the driver to get in and out of the car. And in doing so risking dings and damage to your…

Microsoft has announced that the popular Office 2016 for Mac is available to download today for Office 365 customers. The popular suite of applications has been enhanced with a sleek new look and a number of new features. Microsoft’s Office 2016 for Mac includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote and have been improved with feedback from the Mac Community. Office 2016 for Mac offers a sleek experience with the addition of Mac capabilities like full screen view, multi-touch gestures and support for Retina Display support so your documents look sharper than ever. The new Office 2016 for Mac is…

If you don’t want to wait until the official release of iOS 9 and OS X El Capitan you can start Apple’s Beta Software Program and get your hands on these new operating systems today. You can enrol your Mac and iPhone or iPad to access the beta versions of OS X El Capitan and iOS 9. When the new software is installed a built-in Feedback Assistant app will appear on your Mac’s dock and on the second page of your iOS device’s home screen so you can report any issues you come across directly to Apple. WHAT YOU NEED…

It’s Episode 216 – the State of Origin edition – of Two Blokes Talking Tech, with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long, discussing the tech headlines and products of the week. Recorded just before the deciding State of Origin III match in the Tech Guide studio, Stephen (NSW) and Trevor (Queensland) talk about the new LG 4K OLED TV which has just been launched in Australia and the subscription video on demand stats that have just been revealed by Telsyte. Also on the show, the new smaller GoPro Hero4 Session, the Optus unlimited home broadband plans and…

It looks like something you’d see in a spy movie. Dot is the world’s smallest Bluetooth headset that connects to your smartphone and it’s barely visible when you’re wearing it. When it was launched as a Kickstarter project, Dot only took an hour to reach its $US30,000 funding target and is now sitting at more than $US150,000 and climbing. The miniscule device weighs just 3.5g but can still run for six hours while listening to music, offer nine hours of call time and 80 hours of standby time. And despite its small size it still has room for a multifunction…

Australians have embraced subscription video on demand (SVOD) with the number of customers taking up streaming entertainment services skyrocketing in the last few months. The latest figures released by tech analysts Telsyte has shown more than two million Australians have active SVOD accounts to services like Netflix, Stan and Presto. This is up from just 315,000 in December 2014. The massive growth spike coincided with the arrival of Netflix in Australia and the launch of Stan – a joint venture between the Nine Network and Fairfax. Telsyte’s research suggests a large number of customers took up free trial offers and…

One thing that people need to get into shape is motivation and often that is in the form of a personal trainer urging them on during a workout. Jabra’s new Sport Coach earphones can do just that. The Jabra Sport Coach earphones connect wirelessly to your mobile device via Bluetooth or with NFC (near field communication) and are designed to be sweat and weatherproof. They have a secure fit in your ear so they are not going to come loose no matter how physical you get with your workout. In terms of audio, the Sport Coach earphones delivers Jabra’s signature…

LG has announced the arrival of Australia’s first 4K Ultra High Definition OLED (organic light emitting diode) televisions that deliver ultra-thin screens and stunning picture quality. LG has taken the lead in worldwide OLED production and, unlike any other major TV manufacturer, is focussing on the new technology to offer Australians a viewing experience they have never seen before. The new LG EG960T television combines OLED and 4K Ultra High Definition for the first time. It will be available in two screen sizes – 55-inch ($5,999) and 65-inch ($9,999). OLED and 4K UHD are the two fastest growing segments in…

For a comprehensive summary of the latest tech listen to Episode 155 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast, hosted by editor Stephen Fenech, to stay updated and educated. On this week’s show, Optus has unveiled new unlimited home broadband plans and Apple makes it easier to take your iPad with you on your travels with Apple SIM. In the Tech Guide interview we talk to GoPro’s Chris Kinman about the latest Hero4 Session action camera. In the Tech Guide reviews, we check out the Casio Edifice smartwatch, the LG LF6300 smart TV and LG’s PH300 MiniBeam projector. In the Tech…

GoPro has unveiled an all-new go-anywhere action camera called the Hero4 Session which is 50 per cent smaller and 40 per cent lighter than the bestselling Hero4 Black. GoPro has shoehorned the features the brand is known and loved for into the smaller square chassis with a waterproof design that doesn’t require a separate bulky housing. Three years in the making, the GoPro Hero4 Session has a simple one-button operation so you can instantly capture action-packed videos and amazing pictures. Hero4 Session has a 170-degree lens and can capture in high quality video at 1080 at up to 60 frames…

There’s been a lot of attention around smartwatches lately but popular watch company Casio has been at it for years and offers connectivity to smartphones with its latest Edifice range. Tech Guide took a close look at the Casio Edifice EQB-500D-1A – a feature packed watch that also has Bluetooth onboard. It has a stylish steel design and five outside buttons along with a metal link band. It also has a day and date indicator on the watch face and the device is waterproof to a depth of 100m. The face of the Casio timepiece has hint of green on…

In the ever-changing world of technology trying to come to grips with the facts can be challenging at times so we’ve decided to dispel some of the biggest myths and misconceptions. Myths can take on a life of their own and gain strength the more often they repeated. If you repeat them often enough people will think they are true. That’s why they become myths in the first place. Here are some of the biggest myths in tech. MACS NEVER GET VIRUSES Macs can and do get infected with viruses so if you own a Mac it would be advisable…

Optus has introduced a new pre-paid plan that will allow customers to rollover their precious unused data into the next month to offer even more flexibility and value. The new My Prepaid Monthly Plus will be available from July 5. With these new prepaid plans customers can save up to 10GB of data from month to the next. The rollover will only take effect as long as the plan is recharged before the credit expires. There are three plans starting at $30 per month for 1.5GB over 30 days along with $350 worth of calls and unlimited text messages. There…

Not everyone can afford the top of the line smart TV or want to shell out thousands of dollars for features they don’t want or need. LG’s new LF6300 television sits in a more affordable price range but still offers most of the features of the more expensive models. Not everyone wants 4K Ultra High Definition, a larger screen and all of the other bells and whistles that they might not even use. What people do want is a decent TV that’s not going to cost the earth. And that’s a good way to describe the LG LF6300. Tech Guide…

It’s time to tune in to Two Blokes Talking Tech Episode 215, with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long, for a fun and informative look at the latest tech. On this week’s show, the blokes talk about the launch of Apple Music, the new Telstra Air nationwide wi-fi network and the amount of time parents spend on their devices. Also on the program, SBS On Demand has been relaunched and the SmartCup that lets you grab your coffee in a reusable cup and make a cashless payment for it at the same time. In the minute reviews…

For travellers, an iPad is a common companion to stay connected and stay in touch and Apple has launched a new SIM card service that will keep users connected when they are overseas. Apple SIM lets you choose a cellular data plan from the available providers in more than 90 countries and territories around the world including the US, Canada, UK and across Europe. The Apple SIM is available from Apple retail stores and will work with the iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3 wi-fi + cellular models. No matter which of these countries you travel to, there is…

The saying “good things come in small packages” can certainly apply to the LG PH300 MiniBeam projector that packs plenty of features into its small chassis. The PH300 is just 13.3cm wide, 8.5cm high and 6.4cm thick so it can go anywhere with you for your next presentation or when you just want to kick back and watch a movie. Onboard is a DLP Picture Engine which can project an image up to 100-inches in a high definition resolution of 1280 x 720. The built-in light source will run for up to 30,000 hours which equates to four hours of…

Australian company frank green has launched the SmartCup – a world-first technology that combines a reusable cup and a payment system so you can go cash free each time you get your coffee. The SmartCup has a sensor built into the lid to instantly process the payment at participating cafes and restaurants. The sustainable and environmentally-friendly SmartCup syncs with the CafePay app so you can find locations that will accept these cashless payments. Users can add a credit card to the CafePay app when they register so the funds can be drawn every time the SmartCup is used. The app…