Author: Stephen Fenech

Get on the right track with Episode 623 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast hosted by editor Stephen Fenech so you can stay updated and educated about the latest consumer tech news and reviews. On this week’s show: We speak to Oppo Australia Managing Director Michael Tran about 10 years in the Australian market and, as we expected, the Government ban on social media for under 16s has been passed – what happens now. In the Tech Guide reviews – we check out massive Hisense 110UX – the 110-inch ULED TV, how you can charge your Apple products in style…

Christmas is less than three weeks away and there’s still time to nail the perfect tech present with the help of the Tech Guide 2024 12 Days of Christmas Gift Guide. Today we’re focusing on smartphones. Be sure to come back and check out the different categories we’re covering over the full 12 days of the Christmas gift guide. Here are Tech Guide’s 12 Days of Christmas Gift Ideas: Day 1: Cameras Day 2: Smartphones Day 3: Wearables/smartwatches Day 4: In-car gadgets DAY 5: Gaming DAY 6: Tablets/e-readers DAY 7: Drones/Gadgets DAY 8: Smart/IoT devices DAY 9: Headphones/speakers DAY 10: TVs/Blu-Ray/4K DAY 11: Appliances DAY 12: Computers DAY 2: SMARTPHONES iPHONE 16…

Get in the fast lane 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, Stephen and Trevor travel to Spartanburg South Carolina as guests of BMW to check out “Plant Spartanburg” where BMW makes all their X cars. The plant is growing, to expand production including its future electric cars. And we talk to an EV9 owner who had a horror road trip, but still loves the car! Plus, how you can get fit while…

Christmas 2024 is nearly here, and technology will be a popular choice of gift so we’re here to help you with the Tech Guide 12 Days of Christmas Gift Ideas so you can find the perfect gift for your loved ones. Today we’re looking at cameras that can not only capture great content anywhere but also connect us to our loved ones and help workers in their hybrid set up. Here are Tech Guide’s 12 Days of Christmas Gift Ideas: Day 1: Cameras Day 2: Smartphones Day 3: Wearables/smartwatches Day 4: In-car gadgets DAY 5: Gaming DAY 6: Tablets/e-readers DAY 7: Drones/Gadgets DAY 8: Smart/IoT devices DAY 9: Headphones/speakers…

The Hisense 110UX is a massive TV. At 110-inches this new Hisense flagship TV offers a viewing experience like no other with impressive audio and video quality. But the big screen comes with a big price – it’s $24,999. The 110UX includes Hisense’s proprietary MiniLED X backlight technology which provides an impressive 40,000 dimming zones. https://youtu.be/htMpmT3gw48?si=hl0EbxQi444gBCro Tech Guide looked at the Hisense 110UX in large hotel suite surrounded by several large windows. The setting was important because it closely resembles the bright open living spaces that customers investing in this TV would also have. The Hisense 110UX has up to…

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.…