Author: Stephen Fenech

Stay updated and educated with the latest tech news and reviews with Episode 124 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast, hosted by editor Stephen Fenech. On this week’s show, discover your technology personality type, Netflix is finally coming to Australia and finding the right cloth to clean your device. In the Tech Guide reviews we take a look at the Kobo Aura H2O e-reader that’s waterproof, the Bang & Olufsen BeoPlay A2 Bluetooth speakers and the unusual looking BlackBerry Passport smartphone. In the Tech Guide Help Desk we answer the question about choosing between an activity tracker and a smartwatch.…

A new virus called Regin has been described as the world’s most dangerous bug ever with experts saying it is probably the work of  a government agency. The malware, discovered by internet security company Symantec, is capable of stealing data and passwords, taking screenshots and can even control the cursor. Regin was also able to gain access to phone calls after attacking a telecom company’s infrastructure. Symantec says Regin has been around a long time and can go years without being noticed inside a computer system. It is suited for long-term surveillance of governments, research institutes, individuals and other countries.…

To mark World AIDS Day, Apple has created a special section of the App Store – Apps for (RED) – with all proceeds going to global fund to fight AIDS. For the next two weeks the new Apps for (RED) section of the App Store will offer 24 apps with exclusive new content with funds directed to help achieve the goal of an AIDS-free generation. On World AIDS Day – December 1 – Apple will also donate a portion of sales at Apple’s retail and online stores around the world. The day also happens to coincide with one of the…

As Australians we love technology and are early adopters of all types of devices but new research has identified six distinct technology personality types. Digital Ethnographer Jonathan Hutchinson partnered with Microsoft in his research to identify the different ways people approach and use technology in their day-to-day lives. From looking at consumer use, adoption and personal behaviour the study pinpointed six different personalities that consumers will be able to identify with. Here are the six tech types: THE CREATOR This user is always working on a new project and regularly share ideas while using technology to try and turn that…

Bang & Olufsen has entered the Bluetooth speaker market but in typical style, the company has put its own unique design spin on it to make it stand out from the crowd. The BeoPlay A2 is about the size of a trade paperback book and has a leather strap on one end. It is also flat – an unusual shape for a speaker – with a grille on the front and the back. Not that you can actually pick the front or the back – it’s really up to the listener how they’d like to place it or hold it.…

There are lot of waterproof products on the market – smartphones, speakers, cameras – but the Kobo Aura H2O is the world’s first waterproof e-reader. Forget sealing your e-reader in a plastic zip-lock bag or special waterproof case next time you’re within sight of water. Kobo’s Aura H2O can not only handle a splash – it can even be fully submerged. The device has a 6.8-inch e-ink high definition screen with a resolution of 1430 x 1080 with 265dpi (dots per inch) so the text is razor sharp and easy to read. The display has built-in ComfortLight technology that illuminates…

BlackBerry’s main customers today are the ones that stayed loyal or are locked in with a corporate device and the new BlackBerry Passport isn’t going to change that. The Passport gets its name because it is the same shape as the travel document we carry on overseas trips. It’s also a name that suggests mobility. But the shape is not what we’ve grown used to in the smartphone market and also nothing like any other BlackBerry that we’ve ever seen before. It has a 4.5-inch square touchscreen with a 1400 x 1400 resolution and a three row physical keyboard that…

The Mobile Cloth from PC Range is a low tech product but it is specially designed to keep our high tech devices shiny, clean and bacteria free. It is inevitable that when using touchscreen devices like smartphones and tablets that fingerprints and marks are going to end up on our screens. The PC Range Mobile Cloth has been specially designed and made of microfibre material which has fibres that are each 100 times thinner than a human hair. They are woven in a special pattern called nubs to make it easier to wipe off fingerprints as well as 98 per…

There are phone cases for decoration and phone cases for protection and the Tech21 case for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus ticks all the boxes. If you’re investing in the Apple’s new iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus or then it’s worth spending some extra dollars on a case that’s going to defend the device against accidental drops. And the latest Tech21 Impactology range can offer unrivalled protection while still offering a sleek and compact design. The Tech 21 Shell, Band, Frame and Wallet cases offer slightly different looks and styles but what they all have in common…

Episode 185 of Two Blokes Talking Tech, with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long, can be seen and heard now for the latest tech commentary. On this week’s show – which was broadcast live on YouTube while being recorded – the blokes talk about Nokia’s comeback with an Android iPad-like tablet and Netflix finally coming to Australia and New Zealand. Also on the program – the DJI Phantom drones and how these flying cameras have made the news for wrong reasons. The podcast is about to turn 10 years old, Jawbone’s new affordable UP Move activity tracker…

Boost Mobile is providing a big screen experience without the big price tag with its latest offering – a 5-inch Alcatel OneTouch smartphone for less than $100. Boost Mobile View 5.0 is the first device with a 5-inch display offered at this price point in Australia. The $99 Alcatel OneTouch smartphone includes a 5-megapixel camera, a 1.3Ghz quad core processor along with 4GB of internal memory and a microSD card slot to expand the memory even further. Running Android’s Jelly Bean operating system, the Alcatel OneTouch device is 9.9mm thick and weighs 160g with a screen resolution of 854 x…

Our TV viewing choices will be expanding next year after popular subscription service Netflix announced it will launch in Australia and New Zealand in March 2015. In a move that’s sure to shake things up with free-to-air TV viewing and Foxtel’s Pay TV service, Netflix has confirmed it is finally coming to Australia and New Zealand. Netflix is already available in the US, UK, Canada, Latin America and across Europe. Customers of the popular online content subscription service will be able to watch a curated collection of TV shows and movies in high definition and even 4K when available. Netflix…

Nokia has jumped back into the hardware business with the launch of the N1 7.9-inch tablet running the Android operating system. Microsoft purchased the Nokia handset and services last year for $7.2 billion but the Finnish company has decided to return to the consumer market. The N1 tablet, which looks a lot like Apple’s iPad Mini, will be built in partnership with Foxconn – the company that manufacturers Apple’s iPhones and iPads. The N1 has a 2.4Ghz quad core processor and 32GB of internal memory and will be priced at $250. http://youtu.be/IwJmthxJV5Q The device has a very similar design to…

Apple has released WatchKit, the software developers will use to create apps and experiences for the upcoming Apple Watch which will hit the market in early 2015. Apple revealed its version of the smartwatch at the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus launch in September. The Apple Watch will be able to link with your iPhone and also run apps right there on your wrist. With the WatchKit, developers can create apps, actionable notifications and Glances – information that’s easily accessible with a quick look at Apple Watch. These notifications will give users the option of responding right from their…

We’re closing in on the 10th anniversary of the podcast with users listening to 7 billion podcasts through iTunes and the dedicated iOS app this year alone. The format has been enjoying a resurgence of late with programs covering every subject imaginable. They can be heard at any time you want on your computer or iOS device like the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. Podcasts are available in the 155 countries where iTunes has set up shop. Listeners are able to subscribe to their favourite podcasts so they are automatically pushed to the iTunes desktop app and to the iOS…

We’ve got a packed Episode 123 of the popular Tech Guide podcast, hosted by editor Stephen Fenech, to hear about the latest tech news and reviews any time. On this week’s show we talk about Dolby Atmos – the new home theatre sound standard, Optus releases a new smartphone payment and the podcast format is nearly 10 years old and is more popular than ever. In the Tech Guide reviews we take a look at the Logitech K480 multi-device keyboard that can link to up to three devices at once, the DJI Phantom 2 Vision + flying camera drone and…

Jawbone’s latest device – the UP Move – takes all of the best features of the UP24 bracelet and packs it into a smaller and much more affordable device. The UP Move is about the size of a stack of three dollar coins (27.4mm wide and 9.55mm thick) and can be attached to your clothing in a clip or inside a band that can be worn on your wrist like a watch. Despite being a lot smaller and cheaper than the UP band, the UP Move still has Jawbone’s typical design and range of colours. And it also has the…

Surround sound in cinemas and in our homes has been reinvented with a new audio format called Dolby Atmos to create a multi-dimensional experience. With 5.1 and 7.1 channel sound we’re already used to hearing sound all around us. But now with Dolby Atmos the sound can truly envelope the viewer and not only comes from all directions but also from above our heads. It’s being called the biggest thing to happen to home theatre in 20 years. Tech Guide had a chance to experience Dolby Atmos (short for Atmosphere) in the Onkyo offices – one of the first companies…

Logitech’s new K480 Bluetooth keyboard works with all of the devices we use every day – smartphones, tablets and computers – to make typing even easier. Whether you need to type out a document on your computer, write a tweet on your smartphone or update your Facebook status on your tablet – the Logitech K480 can connect to all three. And it doesn’t matter whether you’re using a PC, Mac, iOS device, Android or Chrome OS or a mixture of them all. An Easy-Switch dial located on the left edge of the keyboard makes it easy to switch between three…

More than 90 per cent of Australians have social media accounts plus lots of digital files but have we thought about what happens to them when we die? With our digital footprints expanding it is something NSW Trustee and Guardian – which has been making wills and administering estates for 100 years – people should consider. Anyone with a will knows it is designed to offer a legal plan about how their assets are distributed once they are gone. But what about your digital assets? Things like your files stored on your computer, photos and music collections, loyalty club membership…