Author: Stephen Fenech

Two Blokes Talking Tech, Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long, are in Las Vegas for the International Consumer Electronics Show and give their verdicts on Press Day. Press Day takes place the day before CES starts and is when all of the companies present their latest products and technologies to the thousands of media in attendance. Stephen and Trevor run through LG’s announcements including the company’s strong OLED line-up along with the new twin washing machine and G Flex 2 curved smartphones. The Blokes then turn their attention to Samsung – arguably the most anticipated press conference…

We’ve heard of smart TVs, smartwatches and smartphones but now there’s a smart ring – a device that can control other products with gesture. Unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the product is simply called Ring. It looks like an oversized wedding ring that links to a central infrared hub via Bluetooth which in turn is connected to your home’s wi-fi network. Once connected, Ring can make things happen with a single gesture. It can be used to control devices at home like a TV or a lamp, take control of the camera and music player on…

There is no other place outside the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas where you get to see the TV wars up close. It’s not just the brands going head to head but also the TV formats that are fighting to gain customer support. Over the years we’ve seen plasma, LCD and, more recently, LED emerge as the dominant format. But in a town like Vegas where fortunes are made and lost with a bold gamble, LG has this year put its chips down on OLED (organic light emitting diode) as the way forward for television. The bulk of…

Sony has unveiled its thinnest ever 4K LCD TV at less than 5mm thick at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Sony’s X9000C Bravia series measures a svelte 4.9mm at its thinnest point and has a new 4K Processor X1 onboard for enhanced contrast and colour accuracy for both HD and 4K Ultra High Definition. It’s actually thinner than the Sony Xperia Z3 smartphone. It also retains Sony’s 4K X-Reality Pro for excellent upscaling and Triluminos screen technology that creates an even wider colour reproduction. They will be available in 55-inch, 65-inch and 75-inch sizes. All up Sony will…

Samsung has unveiled a new type of Ultra High Definition LED TV designed to enhance the colour and brightness of its 2015 range of smart TVs. Called S-UHD, the technology wasn’t explained during the Samsung press conference on the eve of the Consumer Electronics Show but the electronics giant says it will add more brightness and more colour expression than a regular LED TV. The basis of S-UHD is what the industry is calling Quantum Dot technology. The addition of this technology results in warmer and brighter colours. But in Samsung’s case they have added a little something extra –…

The Two Blokes Talking Tech, Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long, are in Las Vegas for the International Consumer Electronics Show. For Episode 190-1, the blokes attended CES Unveiled – the pre-show event that showcases a number of quirky gadgets and emerging technologies. Held at the Mandalay Bay Convention Centre, CES Unveiled revealed a number of smart devices including smart rings, smart pots, smart kettles, smart bottles and, of course, even more smartwatches and wearable activity bands. There was even a high visisbility jacket for cyclists with 23 built-in LED indicators. Stephen and Trevor talk about a…

LG has kicked off the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas with an ambitious line-up of products including a stunning range of super slim OLED TVs, an updated webOS to power the Internet of Things, an all-new curved smartphone and innovative new home appliances. “Innovation for a better life” was LG’s catch phrase to describe the company’s goal to provide its customers an easier and more enjoyable experience at home, on the go and even in the car. LG is on the front foot with OLED and this is reflected in the 2015 portfolio which is available in 4K…

Cyclists can now clearly been seen on the road with the new Visijax – a high visibility jacket with motion sensitive LED signalling lights. Unveiled at CES in Las Vegas, the Visijax provides added visibility and safety thanks to 23 LED lights placed on the front, back and sleeves. There are built-in sensors that react to the rider’s motions. Extending your left arm to signal a turn activates the LED lights on the left sleeve just like a car blinker. And when you bring your arm down again the indicators turn off automatically. The Visijax is fully waterproof and breathable…

Tune in to the first Tech Guide podcast for 2015, hosted by editor Stephen Fenech, coming to you live from the International Consumer Electronics Show. In Episode 129, we take a look at what we can expect to see at CES – the world’s largest consumer tech trade show. Also on the show, Telstra and Optus flick the switch on faster 4G networks and ESET, a global internet security company, predicts the areas where cyber criminals will strike in 2015. In the Tech Guide reviews we take a look at the excellent Sony VPL VW300ES 4K projector, the Logitech Harmony…

Tech Guide has landed in Las Vegas for the International Consumer Electronics Show where the latest tech products we’ll be using this year and beyond are revealed to the world. At CES, everyone from major global manufacturers to the newest start-ups with their first prototype have an opportunity to wow the industry and media in a town best known for making or breaking fortunes. In previous years CES has given us the first glimpse at what has gone on to become household technology including the VCR, compact disc, plasma TVs, DVDs and Blu-rays and 3D TVs. So what does CES…

LG will release a series of ultra widescreen 21:9 monitors to suit gamers, business owners and multimedia professionals at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next week. LG is a leader in widescreen monitor sales worldwide according to IDC with a market share of 77.3 per cent. LG will unveil four monitors at CES – the 21:9 UltraWide Gaming Monitor (34UM67), the world’s first curved 34-inch 21:9 (34UC97), 21:9 curved UltraWide Multi-Display (34UC87M) and the Digital Cinema 4K monitor (31MU97). LG 34-INCH 21:9 ULTRAWIDE GAMING MONITOR (34UM67) LG’s first 21:9 UltraWide gaming monitor is designed for graphics-heavy and…

Telstra and Optus will now be enjoying even faster and more reliable 4G connections with new mobile sites activated across Australia to kick off 2015. Both Telstra and Optus have taken advantage of the new 700 Mhz spectrum which allows the mobile signal to travel even further and faster as well as penetrate deeper into buildings. 4G 700 Mhz will offer greater bandwidth to manage the growing demand for extra data from customers as well as faster upload and download speeds. Optus started the new year with 4G 700Mhz on more than 270 sites in capital cities and regional centres…

We have so many devices that are charged with a USB cable – smartphones, tablets, wireless earphones and headphones, cameras, e-readers and portable gaming devices – just to name a few. Charging them means you need to plug the USB cable into an adaptor and then plug that adaptor into a power point. Kensington has just released the Powerwhiz 48W 4-Port USB Charger that can charge four smartphones, tablets and other USB-charged devices at the same time. It’s like a USB powerboard that takes up far less space than a regular powerboard that is usually crowded with plug-in adaptors. The…

LG will be unveiling its expanded line-up of 4K ultra high definition TVs at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas which kicks off next week. The new ColourPrime series will incorporate new designs, features and enhanced picture quality with even more depth and realism with new Wide Colour LED and Quantum Dot technologies. Wide Colour LED, which will be seen for the first time at CES, uses different phosphor-based LEDS to display even more colour depth and more realistic images Quantum Dot technology offers greater colour accuracy and an increased range of colours that can be displayed on…

There have been a few high profile hacks lately including the well-publicised Sony attack allegedly from North Korea and the interruption of the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live online gaming networks over Christmas. Unfortunately cybercrime can strike anywhere and we can only provide the best defences we have. ESET, a global provider of security solutions, has highlighted the areas it thinks will be targeted in 2015. In 2014 it was all about internet privacy and malware for Android smartphones and tablets. But in 2015 there are three areas ESET believes may be besieged by hackers – digital payment systems, targeted…

Today’s modern lounge room has a lot of entertainment products that each come with their own remote control but Logitech’s Harmony Ultimate One can rule them all. This Logitech touchscreen IR (infra-red) remote can control up to 15 devices as well as create one-touch activities. The controller itself fits nicely in your hand and has a number of physical controls along with a touchscreen. It has a motion-activated backlight with the screen positioned in the centre of the device so it’s easy to control with one hand. The device comes with a wireless hub and two IR mini blasters so…

If you’re serious about setting up a home theatre then you can’t go past a projector. And Sony’s new VPL-EW300S 4K projector should be at the top of your list. Sony has been a real pioneer when it comes to 4K and has had a hand in the technology from lens to lounge room. It’s this legacy and experience that has been poured into the latest, and more affordable, 4K projector – the VPL VW300ES. Sony’s first 4K home theatre projector was priced north of $25,000 and there were many a customer wishing the superb product was more affordable. Two…

A funny thing happens whenever I mention I’ve been using Samsung cameras. People tend to turn their noses up at the idea of a camera from a company best known for tablets and phones. Well, the NX1 might just be the camera Samsung needs to break the stigma I keep running into because this is an exciting piece of kit. The thrill of using a camera built to a new standard started when I first switched it on. There, on the rear display, was a distance scale. Some readers might wonder what the big deal is. For the greybeards among…

Tech Guide has introduced a new feature to the re-designed site – Tech Guide Trade Ins – which is an easy way to convert your old devices to cash. Created in partnership with Alegre, Tech Guide Trade Ins makes it possible for you to sell your unwanted phones, tablets, computers, gaming consoles and more. Once you click through to Tech Guide Trade Ins from the Tech Guide site you can choose the type of device you have, the brand and then the model. Then simply fill in the check boxes to describe the device’s condition and whether you have the…

It’s the 12th and final day of Tech Guide’s 12 Days of Christmas gift ideas and we’ve saved one of the most popular categories for last – headphones. We’re taking a looking at on-ear headphones and in-ear headphones as well and noise-cancelling models as well. Music is enjoyed by people of all ages so a pair of headphones is a gift that will appeal to a wide range of men, women and children. And there are models to suit people want to listen to their music while they’re exercising while the noise-cancelling versions will suit frequent travellers. Here is the…