Author: Stephen Fenech

Run, Forrest Run!!! This week on The Best Movies You’ve Never Seen we’re watching Forrest Gump starring Tom Hanks, Sally Field and Gary Sinise and directed by Robert Zemeckis. Forrest Gump tells the life story of young man trying to live his best life despite his disadvantages. His incredible heartfelt journey introduces him to some remarkable people and take him through pivotal moments in history. Stephen watched Forrest Gump in the cinema with his wife Jo and has rewatched it numerous times since while Trevor, who has heard of the film and the popular quotes, sits through it for the…

Get crazy and listen to Episode 661 of the popular Two Blokes Talking Tech podcast with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long as they go through the week’s biggest tech stories and product announcements. This week we discuss the social media ban and the alternative measures the government could have taken. Stephen and Trevor unpack and share their ideas. A ring war? Trev reviews the Kogan smart ring in comparison to Samsung. Oppo is bringing back their X Series Flagship phones, there’s a new microphone war between DJI and Rode as DJI releases the DJI Mic Mini…

The proposed social media ban for children under 16 – a world-first legislation – has passed through the Australia Senate with support from both sides of the aisle. But it has already come under fire from the world’s largest social media platform Meta – the company behind Facebook, Instagram, Threads and WhatsApp – who claim the new law was “rushed through without properly considering the evidence”. The new law won’t come into effect for 12 months and at that time any user under 16 will be banned from accessing social media platforms like Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram and others. This…

Quality audio so you can hear your music wherever you want it. That’s what Logitech Ultimate Ears Miniroll provides despite its small and easily portable size. The UE Miniroll Bluetooth speaker can fit in the palm of your hand and gets its design inspiration from a river rock. It weighs just 279g and includes handy strap which makes it easy to attach to your bag, your bike or yourself. And it’s also durable thanks to the IP67 rating which makes it waterproof, dustproof and drop proof so you can confidently take it with you to the beach, by the pool…

Journey has always made stylish tech products and its latest offering – the Nova wireless charging station – definitely goes down the same attractive path while keeping your iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods fully charged. Nova offers a distinct minimal design aesthetic with a split material exterior so it can blend into your home’s décor. It offers 15W of charging power for Qi2 enabled iPhones along with fast charging for AirPods and Apple Watch. The Journey Nova would be an attractive addition to your desk or bedside table to ensure your devices charged up and ready to go. It has…

DJI is already well-known for its drones, cameras and gimbals and it is already making a name for itself with microphones and its latest offering – the DJI Mic Mini – will consolidate its reputation. DJI Mic Mini certainly lives up to its name – it is tiny and light yet still offers impressive audio and transmission quality for content creators. “DJI Mic Mini packs unbelievable sound into an incredibly compact, extremely light package, bringing the high-quality audio expected from DJI in a mini microphone at a modest price of $245,” said Paul Pan, Senior Product Line Manager at…

Christmas is just around the corner and if you wanted to put up some lights inside and outside the home that will get the neighbours talking then the Wiz range can help you achieve a stunning result. The Wiz range includes outdoor string lights, light strips, portable lights, floor lights, smart bulbs and smart plugs. Wiz smart lights connect directly to your wi-fi and can be configured and controlled through the Wiz app. There is no additional hardware, and no extra wiring required. The Wiz lights also have SpaceSense which can automatically turn on lights when you enter a room…

Do we need a social media ban? Would it work? Is there a better solution? These are the questions we put to digital wellbeing expert and researcher Dr Joanne Orlando in Episode 622 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast hosted by editor Stephen Fenech. Also on the show, Norton issues a warning to Australians to beware of Black Friday and Cyber Monday digital traps and Oclean’s palm-sized water flosser. In the Tech Guide reviews, we check out the new STIHL range of battery powered garden tools, Samsung releases a new premium yet affordable smartphone and the Ugears 3D puzzles and…

Buckle up and take a listen to the latest episode of the popular show Two Blokes Talking Electric Cars – The EV Podcast – with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long. This week, Would you “donate” the power in your car to a disaster affected community? That’s possible under a trail plan from MyCar to use EVs with Vehicle to Load capabilities to give power to people who need it most. Plus we talk to Chargefox about their research into time-of-day charging and how it might affect charging habits. And a caller who has gone from being…

Samsung has released the affordable Galaxy A16 5G smartphone which punches well above its weight thanks to its impressive features and slick design. Price to $349, the Samsung Galaxy A16 certainly offers a lot of bang for your buck starting with the 6.7-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display (an upgrade to last year’s 6.5-inch screen) which offers natural colour and amazing clarity to enjoy your content. On the design side, the A16 5G measures just 7.9mm thick – that’s down from 8.4mm in the A15 series. And despite being thinner, the Galaxy A16 5G is IP54 rated for dust and water…

STIHL is a brand we all know when it comes battery-powered gardening tools and we put some of them through their paces. And the good news is they are all significantly discounted for Black Friday. Tech Guide looked at STIHL’s HSA 45 Battery Hedge Trimmer, the FSA 45 Battery Brushcutter and the RE 125 X Pressure Washer. https://youtu.be/uF0aksQQh_M?si=BL6NrMt3Md7X-YH- STIHL HSA 45 BATTERY HEDGE TRIMMER – BLACK FRIDAY PRICE – $149 (USUALLY $249) We’ve got a lot of hedges at our place and the STIHL HSA 45 Battery Hedge Trimmer helped us make light work of them all. Light being the…

Vanity, definitely my favourite sin. This week on The Best Movies You’ve Never Seen podcast we’re watching The Devil’s Advocate starring Al Pacino, Keanu Reeves and Charlize Theron. The Devil’s Advocate tells the story of a young hot shot lawyer who has never lost a case being tempted to come to New York to work for a prestigious law firm. But his wife has her doubts – she begins a downward spiral while his career takes off and caught in the firm’s unusual grip. Stephen watched The Devi’s Advocate in the theatre and had enjoyed it many times while Trevor…

Oppo has released its new Find X8 Pro smartphone that delivers a flagship experience across the board with its camera, performance and battery life. The new Find X8 Pro also sees the introduction of ColorOS15 which includes several Oppo AI features. “We’ve heard the demand from our Australian users in the last two years to bring our flagship Find X Series to local shores, and we’ve listened,” says OPPO Australia Managing Director, Michael Tran. “We’re proud to announce that the Oppo Find X8 Pro is now officially on sale in Australia. “Continuing the legacy of the Find X Series as…

Cyber safety brand Norton has issued a warning to Australians who plan to spend big online on Black Friday and Cyber Monday to take even greater care as cybercriminals will be out in force setting digital traps. Almost half of Australians (46 per cent) will take part in these major online shopping days and more than half (54 per cent) are worried about being scammed on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The latest Norton Cyber Safety Insights Report says 70 per cent of Australians are looking for the better deals with 62 per cent of these admitting they are partial…

Oral care brand Oclean has just unveiled its new AirPump A10 portable water flosser – a palm sized device that keeps your teeth clean anywhere and anytime. The AirPump A10 was designed for customers with sensitive gums who bleed when using regular dental floss. The AirPump A10 uses water to flush out residue between teeth and braces which reduces discomfort and offers a much lower risk of bleeding. Unlike other water flossers, AirPump A10 doesn’t purely rely on the high water pressure which can still cause discomfort but rather a combination of air and water to produce a diffused spray.…

Get up to speed with Episode 660 of the Two Blokes Talking Tech podcast with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long as we go through the week’s biggest tech stories and product announcements. This week Stephen and Trevor talk about the Netflix live event with Jake Paul and Mike Tyson and what role streaming will play in sports coverage rights in the future. What are the popular items ahead of Black Friday and Christmas, Bunnings in hot water for using facial recognition and what effect will President Elect Donald Trump have on the regulation of AI and…

It’s a well-known fact that solving puzzles is good for your mental health and promote mindfulness. One choice is the range of Ugears mechanical wooden models – think of it like a 3D jigsaw puzzle. At a time when we’re spending a lot of time looking at screens, engaged with our apps and consuming digital content from several sources, Ugears is designed to offer relaxation as well as mental stimulation. The Ugears models are made from eco-friendly wood and vary in size from small puzzles that fit in your hand all the way up to larger desktop options that can…

Give yourself a huge head start and take a listen to Episode 621 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast so you can stay updated and educated about the latest consumer tech news and reviews. On this week’s show: LG is rumoured to be making a comeback in the smartphone market with a folding device, we go inside the BMW Plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina and Apple releases a new Immersive Video experience by The Weeknd for the Vision Pro. In the Tech Guide reviews – we check out the ReChargeCore rechargeable AA and AAA batteries, we road-test the new July…

Australian audio company BlueAnt has released new over-ear active noise cancelling headphones called Pump X to offer a new and improved audio experience that’s optimised for workouts, fitness and an active lifestyle. Pump X has a secure and comfortable fit with a rugged design and three colour combinations to suit all users. What makes it suitable for you workout is its IP54 splashproof and sweatproof rating which can withstand your hardest workouts. It also includes cooling gel ear pads which can also be swapped out for everyday memory foam ear pads) which are also included) when you’re not in the…

Put your seatbelt on and take a listen to the latest episode of the popular show Two Blokes Talking Electric Cars – The EV Podcast – with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long. This week, Trev had a road trip in the All Electric Cupra that exposed a bunch of real problems with our regional charging network. And while there, came across an all-electric Prime Mover. It’s called Windrose. This week we talk to a representative of the company about what they are doing and what it is and how it could shape the future of EV…